Other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the play?
Several weeks ago after what the Charleston County Schools District described as elicited under great trials and duress, CCSD announced that 15 out-of-county students are attending two magnet high schools, the School of the Arts and the Academic Magnet.
Only 15. But wait.
Only 482 students slipped the Superintendent's mind when the announcement was given to the reporter. Those are the 482 who are missing at least one part of the documentation required to prove they live in the district. And they were allowed to enroll anyway.
Really, you can't make this stuff up. No one would believe it.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
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A direct quote from the letter sent to parents of AMHS students, dated June 2011:
"Your child's home address must be verified by our staff each year on or before the day he or she is admitted or reenrolled in our school. Documentation collected for this current school year will have to be replaced by new documentation for the 2011-2012 school year. All documents provided by you must be current and show your name and street address. ***We will not permit you to enroll your child in our school without the required documentation.*** (emphasis mine.)
JUST KIDDING!
Oh, and in case you think 482 might just be mistakes where the school mislaid documentation or something -
This is more than 25% of the student population of AMHS and SOA combined. I don't think the occasional lost document accounts for this.
And what percentage couldn't come up with complete documents because they really didn't live in the county?
Remember that 482 students with unverified or incomplete address documentation represents only 2 magnet high schools on one campus. What about the rest of the magnet or special program schools? CCSD has only checked the schools where they got caught with out of district enrollees. As for Buist Academy, after years of being ignored by the superintendent we just take it for granted that a significant number of their students don't meet residency requirements. So much for lotteries, waiting lists and fair play. It ain't what you know, kid, it's who you know.
Thanks for the lesson in integrity, Dr. McGinley.
Brian Hicks in his Sunday morning column (Oct. 30, 2011) only addresses part of the problem. Parents aren't the ones who initiated this problem. They rushed in where a large hole existed. The administration hasn't enforced its own policies for years. It is common knowledge the admission process at Charleston County magnet schools can be easily slanted in favor of certain applicants.
The superintendent's office got off their duff only after pressure was put on them about the flagrant abuse of the admissions process. Even so this is more a matter of damage control for the superintendent's public image. Why else would Aubrey Lane, the superintendent's chief of staff be the point person on this?
As long as the school district is just reacting to admissions and waiting list problems relating to its magnet schools, it risks undermining public confidence in the justification for these special schools.
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