Residents of Daniel Island are mad as hell, and they're not going to take it any more! At least that attitude emanates from the latest discussions over whether the "island community" should vote to become part of Charleston County.
First, new residents discover they're not in Charleston County, even though they're in the City of Charleston. So confusing! Even the local newspaper often forgets that they're in Berkeley County. That means that their students must find a surreptitious avenue into Charleston County's Academic Magnet High School, ride nine miles to Hanahan High School, or pay tuition to attend Bishop England High School, situated on the island where they can ride their bikes to school.
Second, speaking of riding bikes to school, the icing on the cake appeared last spring when, to relieve overcrowding at the Daniel Island School (K-8), the Berkeley County School District announced that it will build a new middle school. In Cainhoy. DI residents must have choked on their morning latte. "No biking to Cainhoy," they shouted. "It's not part of our island dream." Residents want a second school on Daniel Island.
These people need to become acquainted with CCSD Superintendent Nancy McGinley, who's never seen a neighborhood school she didn't want to destroy. Students will be bused in from all points of the compass. Further, though Berkeley County is well advanced in planning and financing a new school to relieve DI crowding, Charleston County would need to add the school to its next go-round of financing, postponing construction for at least five years more. If the idea is to bike to school, forgetaboutit!
Residents also need to review their geography: Daniel Island sits between the "north zone" (North Charleston) with its vacancies in many of its failing schools and the"east zone" (Mt. Pleasant) with its highly overcrowded (think Cario) successful schools. Where will the overflow from Daniel Island go?
From the Daniel Island School (as a reference point) to Hanahan High School measures about 9 miles.
From that point to overcrowded Wando High School is about 12 miles.
From Daniel Island to vacancies-a-plenty North Charleston High School is only 8 miles. Think.
Friday, September 06, 2013
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2 comments:
So many transplants have moved to DI it has become a haven for elitists. They deserve CCSD. In fact, the two deserve each other.
Even Charleston County should be careful. Without the leverage of the industrial tax base located outside of DI, and with mostly four percenters on DI, Charleston County may be taking on promises for more costly public services than property taxes collected from DI can offset.
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