Education

Hanahan Leaders And BCSD Members Remain At Odds Over Proposed Elementary School

by Nikki Gaskins Campbell

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BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–Tensions remain high between the Berkeley County School District and Hanahan leaders over the proposed elementary school for the Tanner Plantation and Foster Creek area.

During Tuesday night’s school board meeting, neither party could reach an agreement concerning restrictions governing the new school.

Hanahan Mayor Minnie Blackwell-Newman expressed her disappointment via social media shortly after the meeting ended.

“The city of Hanahan lost a vote for a new school tonight by a 4-4 vote of BCSD. We received votes from representatives from Daniel Island, Goose Creek, Cross and Moncks Corner,” the mayor stated. “Dr. Kent Murray represents Hanahan and cast his vote against the compromise reached and supported by the Citizens Committee for a new school in Hanahan.”

While the city and school district have finally agreed on a site off of Williams Lane, other disagreements remain.

Hanahan leaders reportedly want deed restrictions placed on all city schools that stated that Hanahan children would attend city schools only. However, the school board opposes such a restriction on existing schools and voted to only restrict the new school on the new site.

School board members Mac McQuillin, Phillip Obie II, Sally Wofford and Wilhelmina Moore voted in support of Hanahan. According to the mayor, Murray voted against the measure because it was “bad policy.”

“What about the policy and decision recently reached on Daniel Island and Clements Ferry road for their new school that went against the bond referendum by honoring a past agreement by a former board and costing all taxpayers of Berkeley County at least 13.5 million dollars,” the mayor stated. “This was truly a sad moment for our city.”

Today, the school district provided The Berkeley Observer with following message from Superintendent Dr. Rodney Thompson:

“The Berkeley County School District strongly believe in the importance of community schools.

The Berkeley County School District is hopeful that our negotiations with the City of Hanahan to acquire the Tanner/Foster Creek property for the purpose of building a new school will conclude very soon. The majority of the contract is non-contested including the district agreeing to provide the city with the access roads and utilities to their newly acquired property formerly owned by the U.S. Government. The items of contention are the City’s insistence that the purchase and sale contract contains deed restrictions dictating school attendance  lines. These restrictions are not only associated with the attendance lines for the new Tanner/Foster Creek School, but also linked to the other schools that are located in the Hanahan City limits, and for a fifty year time period.

The Board has pledged for several years and fully intends to zone all Hanahan residents into Hanahan schools when the new school built on the Tanner/Foster Creek property is completed (proposed attendance lines received 1st reading earlier tonight).  Since the Goose Creek schools are at capacity, and Philip Simmons High School creates capacity at Hanahan High School, there will not be a need to adjust the attendance lines for many years.  Based on the outcome of tonight’s vote, the board was willing to compromise their position for the newly acquired property, but did not want to set a precedent of accepting restricted covenants on property already owned by the district.

Historically, the District has been open to reasonable restrictions limiting the use of the property (for school use, serve grades K-8 and related activities etc.) but hesitant to agree to restrictions that impact the autonomy of the current Board or the ability of future boards to comply with the law and make necessary policy decisions. To maintain the District’s ability to acquire land in the future within our growing county, the Board has been advised by by our attorneys to use language that is consistent with our recent land acquisitions when dealing with provisions that address deed restrictions for the proposed Tanner/Foster Creek Property. With that being said, there are conditions that make each transaction unique, such as land donations or discounted purchase prices, and make certain restrictions more acceptable.”

Prior Story:

Tensions build over new Hanahan school, leaders agree to work together
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