BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – Enrollment at Berkeley County School District has exceeded 1,000 students annually for the last several years, and the Cane Bay schools and community are at the center of the most pronounced growth, according to district officials.
At Tuesday’s regular meeting of the Berkeley County Board of Education, several measures were approved in attempt to manage growth and the appropriate service of students in the Cane Bay area of the county.
As the board pushes to address long-term solutions for growth, it authorized short term actions designed to provide the cushion the district needs to execute more perpetual plans.
“Having the board’s support in addressing the needs of our students and employees in Cane Bay means everything,” BCSD Superintendent Dr. Eddie Ingram said. “What was proposed and approved are the most stable options for existing Cane Bay families and school administrators as they work to maintain enrollment numbers. Our administrators have done all they can over the years, creatively implementing modern education practices that benefit students and also aid in managing growth. However, we’ve run out of room for creativity. Our students need more space. Our teachers need more space – more space to learn, collaborate – space to breathe. Students and teachers in the Cane Bay schools need and deserve the same flexibility as students and teachers in other Berkeley County Schools.”
With the board’s approval, the district has established a capacity restriction at Cane Bay Elementary and Cane Bay Middle. Cane Bay Elementary’s capacity will be limited to approximately 1,250 students, while Cane Bay Middle will be limited to approximately 1,400 students.
The procedure for the capacity restriction will operate as follows:
- All new students will register at their school of residency (i.e., Cane Bay Elementary, Cane Bay Middle, or a feeder school of Cane Bay Middle – Foxbank Elementary or Nexton Elementary). Each student’s completed registration in the district’s online registration system, Infosnap, will be time stamped to determine if the student will be enrolled in Cane Bay Elementary or Cane Bay Middle.
- For students that will not be enrolled at Cane Bay Elementary or Cane Bay Middle due to capacity, the district will provide transportation to the Cane Bay schools and provide a transfer bus to transport students to the Westview schools.
- Both schools will maintain a waiting list and priority will be given based on the student’s registration timestamp above the enrollment cap.
In addition, the district is implementing a choice program for students within the Cane Bay attendance zones for the elementary and middle school students that would like to attend another non-magnet Berkeley County school that has available space. Applications will be submitted through the Office of the Chief Administrative Officer, Dr. Susan Gehlmann.
Finally, the board approved a first reading of changes in attendance lines throughout the Cane Bay zone to better distribute excessive enrollment. If approved during the second reading, the undeveloped areas of the Wildcat Tract and the undeveloped areas of Nexton will be moved out of the Cane Bay Elementary and Cane Bay Middle attendance zones. The proposed rezoning would send future students from undeveloped Nexton to Sangaree Middle and Stratford High. Future students living in undeveloped Wildcat Tract will be zoned to attend Whitesville Elementary, Berkeley Middle and a high school to be determined.
The second reading on the suggested attendance line changes will happen during the Tuesday, January 14, 2020 board meeting. The attendance cap and choice options presented to the board were approved and will be in place at the start of the new year.
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