CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County School District is looking at making a number of changes to its downtown Charleston schools that would eventually merge students from three middle schools into a single campus.
It’s all part of a school district plan, which could be voted on as early as the end of this month. It would rezone all Mitchell Elementary School students to Memminger Elementary and Charleston Progressive Academy.
This move would free up space at Mitchell, which would allow the district to renovate the campus and then move three sets of middle school students into it.
The sixth to eighth grade students at Buist Academy, James Simons Middle Montessori program, and Charleston Development Academy would all be housed in the newly-renovated middle school.
The proposed plan also looks at expanding Buist Academy by adding one class per grade level, but in order to do that, the middle school has to be moved. Additional seats at Buist would go to eligible District 20 students. Vacant seats would be given to students countywide by using a lottery system. A designated percentage for each attendance area will be created.
The plan also would create an attendance zone for Charleston Progressive Academy in district 20. Additional seats would be first available to only that district’s students, and vacant seats would be given out to other attendance zones.
Mitchell Elementary, which has specialized programs in math and science, and Memminger Elementary, which has a focus on global leadership, would both lose their partial magnet status should the plan move forward.
Buist Academy and James Simons Montessori would keep their magnet status.
Dozens of CCSD District 20 parents are expected to attend Thursday night’s listening session with school district board members. It starts at 6 p.m. at Burke High School.
Other listening sessions are scheduled around the county through the end of the month. The full list can be found here.
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