The Aiken County School Board unanimously approved four recommendations to address the county’s shifting student population Tuesday at its regular meeting.
The recommendations would adjust grade configuration and attendance boundaries in Areas 1, 3 and 5 to improve use of facilities and demographic balance and to create a direct feeder pattern from elementary through high school.
The plan also would expand Midland Valley High in Area 3, upgrade and expand 1950s-era elementary facilities for future growth and safety in Areas 1 and 2, and build a new elementary and new middle school in Area 2.
Under the first recommendation, the Aiken County Public School District would modify Area 1 attendance boundaries at the elementary level and realign middle schools in the Aiken area and adjust school attendance boundaries in Area 3 in the Midland Valley area. The plan would generate a direct feeder pattern from elementary through high school.
Under the plan, all sixth-graders in Area 1 would attend Aiken Middle School.
The district would create two seventh- and eighth-grade middle schools at Schofield Middle and Kennedy Middle. Schofield would feed Aiken High, and Kennedy would feed South Aiken High to create demographically and socio-economically balanced schools and a direct feeder pattern for the two high schools.
The recommendation would adjust middle school boundaries in Area 3 in anticipation of continued growth at Leavelle McCampbell Middle School and to generate a direct feeder pattern from elementary through high school.
Byrd Elementary, Gloverville Elementary and a new elementary school in Area 3, which would be housed in the current Adult Education Learning Center, would feed into Leavelle McCampbell Middle. Jefferson, Warrenville and Clearwater elementary schools would feed into LBC Middle.
Students in the Trolley Run Station neighborhood on the bypass would move from Area 3 to Area 1. Because of the proximity of Area 1 schools to Trolley Run Station, a number of students in that neighborhood already attend Area 1 schools on special permission. If the boundary were redrawn, Trolley Run students would be zoned for Aiken Elementary, Schofield Middle and Aiken High.
The recommendation would shift the boundary between Areas 1 and 5, which includes the New Ellenton and Jackson areas, to include the portion of Area 1 along the Savannah River Site and the Barnwell County line to Area 5 to increase the use of Area 5 schools and ease transportation concerns for families residing near Barnwell.
A number of students residing along the Barnwell County line submit out of district transfer requests because of the convenience of attending school closer to home. Moving that small portion of the county to Area 5 schools would decreases transportation cost and time and would encourage students to attend their district’s schools.
Those students would attend Oakwood-Windsor Elementary School in Area 1 before attending New Ellenton Middle and Silver Bluff High in Area 5.
Under the second recommendation, the district would expand Midland Valley High to include additional classrooms and additions to the core facility and parking.
Regardless of the enrollment trend, space is a major issue at Midland Valley High School, there are not enough seats for students.
Midland Valley has nine mobile units, and five floating teachers who do not have permanent classrooms. Without additional seats, the space issue at Midland Valley High cannot be resolved.
Under the third recommendation, the district would upgrade and expand Belvedere and Hamond Hill elementary schools in Area 2 and Millbrook Elementary in Area 1. All three schools are at or over near capacity and present challenges to student safety.
Under the fourth recommendation, the district would acquire a donated parcel of land, approximately 85 acres, to build an elementary and middle school in Area 2. Use and capacity of schools in Area 2 are high, and substantial continued growth is expected in the North Augusta area.
The district will share the four recommendations for community feedback and input during a series of town hall meetings in November and December. The schedule of meeting is as follows:
• Nov. 6, 6:30 p.m., Leavelle McCampbell Middle
• Nov. 7, 6:30 p.m., South Aiken High
• Nov. 16, 6:30 p.m., Aiken High
• Nov. 30, 6:30 p.m., North Augusta High, following 1-Cent Community Update Meeting
• Dec. 4, 6:30 p.m., Ridge Spring Monetta Middle High
• Dec. 5, 6:30 p.m., Silver Bluff High School.
The School Board will hold a workshop on Jan. 16, 2018, to consider input from the town hall meetings and make a decision on the recommendations at its meeting on Jan. 23, 2018.
Story by Larry Wood, The Aiken Standard