$15.2M proposed to uplift North Charleston schools, focuses on equity

$15.2M proposed to uplift North Charleston schools, focuses on equity

by Claire Weber

Fri, May 17th 2024 at 10:35 PM | Updated Fri, May 17th 2024 at 11:11 PM

The US Department of Education’s (ED) Civil Rights Office found that South Carolina had a higher number of Black students who received one or more suspensions during the 2020-2021 school year than the national average. (WCIV)

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Charleston County School District (CCSD) officials gave a presentation to North Charleston City Council members Thursday night on how much of next school year’s proposed budget will focus on improving the city’s schools. At the beginning of this year, CCSD launched a joint commission with the City of North Charleston to focus more attention and resources on struggling schools.

While some people have pushed for North Charleston to leave and become its own school district, Superintendent Anita Huggins said it would be disruptive. Huggins says the district is 100% committed to making things right in the city’s schools. She’s proposing a new model to fund schools in next year’s budget.

Overall, the formula has roughly a $32.5 million price tag, and over $15 million of it will go directly to North Charleston classrooms.

Focus on Equity

“The weighted student formula focuses on three groups of students: pupils in poverty, students with disabilities, and multilingual learners. And a lot of those students are populated in our North Charleston schools,” Huggins explained.

In addition to more resources, district leaders say many projects are already underway to improve facilities. Plans for new elementary schools, a high school expansion, and improved athletic resources are all on the horizon.

“I can clearly see that all of our facilities aren’t what they should be for our children,” Huggins said. “But we have a capital maintenance plan and a capital program that have dedicated millions of dollars to making equitable facilities here in North Charleston.”

Celebrating Wins and Progress

Still, the superintendent didn’t just point to the future; she also celebrated North Charleston’s wins this year. Elementary schools are seeing double-digit gains in student achievement with more students performing at or above grade level in reading and math. The graduation rate for high schools has been trending upward since 2021, jumping from 70.5% to 75.1%.

“The teachers and the principals in North Charleston are leading, and they are leading well. We are seeing historic gains in student growth and student achievement, unlike North Charleston has ever seen,” Huggins said.

The superintendent said she’s committed to working with North Charleston City Council to create permanent solutions to address inequities in the school district.