CCSD Needs to Explain Poor Conditions at High-Poverty Schools

Just when you thought that all students in Charleston County attended Taj-Mahal-like schools comes this reminder that rotting in the background are some decrepit facilities.

What do I mean? Board member Kevin Hollinshead recently pointed out the following:

“North Charleston provides the largest (sales) tax base in Charleston County, yet the North Charleston schools are under-served in capital spending.” According to Lowcountry Source, 

"Hollinshead cited the recent rat infestation problem at Garrett Academy of Technology as a long-standing maintenance issue. He also pointed to Deer Park Middle School in North Charleston, which has toilets that frequently clog, no kitchen and a tiny cafeteria which only seats one-sixth of the students at one time. Former Deer Park principal and current school board candidate Paul Padron frequently contacted CCSD about the inadequate facilities, but no corrective action was taken during his two years at the school, which is located at the former Northwoods Academy site."

At a press conference, "Many participants noted that teachers and principals are afraid to come forward about facilities problems, fearing retribution from CCSD leadership. North Charleston community activist Elvin Speights notes that teachers from Mary Ford Elementary, the former Ron McNair Elementary (which now houses Burns Elementary), Morningside Middle School and C.E. Williams Middle School have all contacted him with reports of rodent infestation at their schools."

Rats are an awful problem to suffer, but these schools have much bigger ones to handle. Before the days of testing, CCSD could blow these schools off as good enough. But they aren't doing the job. As reported, "The North Charleston neighborhood schools mostly have fewer than 20% of students performing at or above grade level in English and math, according to the 2017-2018 SC Ready test scores. At Chicora Elementary School in North Charleston, only 1.2% of 5th grade students performed at or above grade level in math. District-wide, only 11.5% of black students in 7th grade performed at or above grade level in math._

"Former school board member Elizabeth Moffly. . . described the three incumbent school board members on the ballot, Chairwoman Kate Darby, former Chairwoman Cindy Bohn Coats, and Eric Mack as 'shills for the administration' and urged people to vote them out of office."

They're spending their time worrying about diversity at CCSD's many choice schools. Someone needs to focus on these neglected neighborhood schools. Mt. Pleasant wouldn't be happy if North Charleston decided to go its separate way in a school district and took its tax base with it.