Beaufort County Public Schools
Beaufort Elementary Montessori accepting applications for 2012-13
Beaufort Elementary Montessori accepting applications for 2012-13
Applications are being accepted for expanded Montessori classes at Beaufort Elementary School, which plans to double the size of its program for 2012-13 due to high interest from parents. [ read article ... ]
Bluffton Elementary wins national honor for computer animation project
Bluffton Elementary wins national honor for computer animation project
Bluffton Elementary School was honored Thursday, January 26, by a national arts organization for an art initiative in which students use computer animation software. [ read article ... ]
Local elementary school hosts sport stacking event
Local elementary school hosts sport stacking event
Molly Smith
Lady’s Island Elementary hosted Mossy Oaks Elementary and Beaufort Academy in a sport stacking meet on Monday, January 23. [ read article ... ]
Friday, January 20: School district invites public to hear nationally noted math education reform expert
Friday, January 20
School district invites public to hear nationally noted math education reform expert
A nationally noted advocate of changing the way students are taught mathematics will speak at 4:00 p.m. Friday, January20 at Bluffton High School. The school district encourages parents and community members to attend. [ read article ... ]
Port Royal Elementary SIC named to state Honor Roll for 2012
Port Royal Elementary SIC named to state Honor Roll for 2012
The School Improvement Council at Port Royal Elementary School has recently been named to the South Carolina School Improvement Council’s 2012 Honor Roll for its efforts to foster civic engagement in public education. [ read article ... ]
January 17: School Board meeting, agenda here
January 17
School Board meeting, agenda here
AMES magnet programs accepting student applications for 2012-13
AMES magnet programs accepting student applications for 2012-13
Beaufort County School District announced that a popular academic magnet program for high-achieving Beaufort County elementary students interested in math and science is now accepting applications for the 2012-13 school year. [ read article ... ]
Seven schools to market specialized academic programs aimed at attracting student transfers
Seven schools to market specialized academic programs aimed at attracting student transfers
Seven Beaufort County schools hope to recruit additional students with specialized academic offerings designed to expand the number of school choice options for parents and fill up underutilized classroom space. [ read article ... ]
January 5-6: Beaufort County School Board work session, agenda here
January 5-6
Beaufort County School Board work session, agenda here
135 eighth-grade students qualify as Junior Scholars
High scores on preliminary SAT exam up from 4 years ago
135 eighth-grade students qualify as Junior Scholars
The school district reported that one hundred thirty-five Beaufort County eighth-graders have met the qualifications for being named Junior Scholars by the South Carolina Department of Education. [ read article ... ]
January 3-5: Beaufort County School District Fiscal Autonomy Public Hearings, information here
January 3-5
Beaufort County School District Fiscal Autonomy Public Hearings, information here
New highway billboards direct families, kids to on-line directory of services
New highway billboards direct families, kids to on-line directory of services
Motorists across Beaufort County will soon be noticing new highway billboards advertising “beaufort4kids.com,” an on-line service directory aimed at helping children and their families. [ read article ... ]
Lady’s Island Middle School Junior Leadership visits Penn Center
Lady’s Island Middle School Junior Leadership visits Penn Center
Lady’s Island Middle Schools Junior Leadership class visited Penn Center on St. Helena Island on November 21. The leadership class spent part of the day touring the facility and learning about Penn Center’s rich history. [ read article ... ]
BHS Eagles Wrestling wins tournament for third year in a row
BHS Eagles Wrestling wins tournament for third year in a row
Photo from Beaufort Wrestling Facebook page
The Beaufort High School Eagles wrestling team won the Silver Fox Invitational Wrestling Tournament for the third year in a row. [ read article ... ]
December 13: School Board Audit Committee meeting and regular meeting, agendas here
December 13
School Board Audit Committee meeting and regular meeting, agendas here
County school system borrows $28.77 million
County school system borrows $28.77 million
The Beaufort County School District’s announced a $28.77 million bond sale this week that includes a refinancing component that will save taxpayers about $2.4 million due to an interest rate of less than 1 percent, the district’s financial advisers said in a press release. [ read article ... ]
District teachers earn National Board certification
District teachers earn National Board certification
Twelve Beaufort County teachers have earned the prestigious National Board certification, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards announced in a press release on Wednesday, December 7. [ read article ... ]
Community leaders head back to school for a day to shadow principals
Community leaders head back to school for a day to shadow principals
Beaufort City Manager Scott Dadson works with St. Helena Elementary Principal Kay Keeler at recess.
Being responsible for children can be quite a challenge. But what would it be like to be responsible for 500 children? How about 1,000? And not only to be responsible for their safety and welfare, but also to make sure that they’re transported to and from your place of business on time, fed once and sometimes twice a day, and also taught a rigorous set of academic skills by a staff that you hire and supervise. [ read article ... ]
Japanese students respond to Bluffton kids who reached out after devastating tsunami
Japanese students respond to Bluffton kids who reached out after devastating tsunami
Bluffton Elementary School fourth-graders wrote letters last spring to Japanese students whose city had been devastated by deadly tsunami waves. [ read article ... ]
First Citizens awards $15,000 grant to local education foundation for teacher mini-grants
First Citizens awards $15,000 grant to local education foundation for teacher mini-grants
First Citizens announced Friday, November 18, a $15,000 donation to the Foundation for Educational Excellence, a fund of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, to support competitive grants for teachers’ classroom teaching. [ read article ... ]
District schools continue improvement on annual state School Report Cards
District schools continue improvement on annual state School Report Cards
Buoyed by improved student test scores and graduation rates, Beaufort County schools continued positive trends by posting higher ratings on 2011 School Report Cards released today by the South Carolina Department of Education. [ read article ... ]
Free workshops offer parents tips on applying for college scholarships, financial assistance
Tuesday, November 15 and Wednesday, November 16
Free workshops offer parents tips on applying for college scholarships, financial assistance
The Beaufort County School District will sponsor a pair of identical workshops for parents next week on how to help finance their children’s college educations. [ read article ... ]
Student achievement at TAP schools improves, teachers eligible for performance rewards
Student achievement at TAP schools improves, teachers eligible for performance rewards
Students at Beaufort County schools participating in an innovative teacher advancement program made significant academic gains last year, a South Carolina Department of Education official told the Board of Education Tuesday, November 1. High-achieving teachers at those schools will be eligible for performance pay bonuses ranging from $580 to $4,800. [ read article ... ]
November 1: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
November 1
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
High schools sponsor “College Application Day”
School district says to help seniors plan next steps after graduation
High schools sponsor “College Application Day”
The School district says high school seniors across Beaufort County can get a head start on applying to college this Thursday, October 27, with help from school guidance counselors, parents, community volunteers and representatives of colleges and universities. [ read article ... ]
Twelve teachers learn local foundation will fund classroom projects
Twelve teachers learn local foundation will fund classroom projects
A dozen Beaufort County public school teachers were surprised on Thursday, October 20, by news that they had won innovative teacher mini-grants from the Foundation for Educational Excellence, a fund of the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry. [ read article ... ]
School district says military personnel, contractors with children in public schools should fill out Impact Aid forms
School district says…
Military personnel, contractors with children in public schools should fill out Impact Aid forms
School district is urging parents who serve in the military or work for the federal government – and who have children in Beaufort County’s public schools – to fill out Federal Impact Aid forms that have been sent home with students. [ read article ... ]
School district says HHI school’s fitness club selected for DHEC’s statewide “All-Health Team”
School district says HHI school’s fitness club selected for DHEC’s statewide “All-Health Team”
The Strength Summed Up Team at Hilton Head Island School for the Creative Arts has been named to the All-Health Team, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control announced on Monday, October 17. [ read article ... ]
October 19: Beaufort County School Board Superintedent Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee meeting, agenda here
October 19
Beaufort County School Board Superintedent Evaluation Ad Hoc Committee meeting, agenda here
October 18: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
October 18
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
School district reports Beaufort County named one of Nation’s ’100 Best Communities for Young People’
School district reports
Beaufort County named one of Nation’s 100 Best Communities for Young People
Beaufort County won national recognition Wednesday, October 12, as one of America’s Promise Alliance’s 100 Best Communities for Young People for its comprehensive menu of initiatives to help young people. The competition recognizes communities across the country that focus on reducing high school dropout rates and providing service and support to their youth. [ read article ... ]
School district says some eighth grade students will get a closer look at their community
School district says new leadership program will allow
Some eighth grade students to get a closer look at their community
The school district says a group of highly motivated middle school students will soon get the opportunity to develop their personal leadership skills in a new program funded with help from a local business association. [ read article ... ]
Saturday, October 15: Harvest Festival at Bluffton Elementary
Saturday, October 15
Harvest Festival at Bluffton Elementary
Harvest Festival-Bluffton Elementary School and Early Childhood Center is scheduled for Saturday, October 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at Bluffton Elementary School, Bluffton. [ read article ... ]
October 4: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
October 4
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
Beaufort educator to appear on live SC ETV program spotlighting virtual learning
Beaufort educator to appear on live SC ETV program spotlighting virtual learning
The South Carolina Department of Education and South Carolina ETV will air a live statewide broadcast Sunday night, October 2, spotlighting “virtual learning.” In virtual or online courses, teachers interact with their students over the Internet. [ read article ... ]
Coosa Elementary art teacher wins national leadership award
Coosa Elementary art teacher wins national leadership award
Coosa Elementary School art teacher Donna Sams has been selected to receive Artsonia’s Annual Leadership Award, an honor extended to only ten teachers from each state. [ read article ... ]
Three Beaufort schools win $518,000 federal grant
Three Beaufort schools win $518,000 federal grant
The US Department of Defense has awarded a $518,000 competitive grant to three Beaufort elementary schools that serve high percentages of military families, school district officials announced. [ read article ... ]
Aviation students visit Marine Corps Air Station
Aviation students visit Marine Corps Air Station
Battery Creek High School students in the school’s new aerospace magnet program course got an exciting glimpse of their possible futures today when they toured the Marine Corps Air Station in Beaufort. [ read article ... ]
School District reports after a big increase in 2010, SAT scores decrease
School District reports after a big increase in 2010, SAT scores decrease
According to the school district, the College Board reported that average SAT scores of graduating seniors dropped across the nation and state in 2011. Beaufort County School District scores also decreased after a big increase the previous year. [ read article ... ]
School District says Whale Branch ECHS gaining positive momentum
School District says Whale Branch ECHS gaining positive momentum
In a press release on Tuesday, September 20, Beaufort County School District officials said that an innovative academic approach at Whale Branch Early College High School has students more engaged and more likely to pursue additional studies after graduating. [ read article ... ]
September 20: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
September 20
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
Teacher of the year was announced on Friday
Teacher of the year was announced on Friday
Beaufort County School District announced it’s 2011-2012 Teacher of the Year on Friday, September 16. A National Board-certified math teacher at Hilton Head High School who “makes the light bulb go on” for her students, Christine A. Gray was named Teacher of the Year during a breakfast celebration to honor teachers of the year from all of the district’s schools. [ read article ... ]
Saturday, September 24: Port Royal Elementary School’s Centennial Celebration
Saturday, September 24
Port Royal Elementary School’s Centennial Celebration
On Saturday, September 24 from 3:00-6:00 p.m., Port Royal Elementary School is having their Centennial Celebration. [ read article ... ]
School District announcing Teacher of the Year this Friday
School District announcing Teacher of the Year this Friday
The Beaufort County School District will announce its 2011-2012 District Teacher of the Year at a Friday morning, September 16 breakfast at the Callawassie Club. [ read article ... ]
Fifth graders not moving to middle schools
Fifth graders not moving to middle schools
At the Tuesday, September 6 school board meeting, the Beaufort County Board of Education voted against shifting fifth graders to Robert Smalls Middle and Beaufort Middle schools. [ read article ... ]
Data shows extra days pay off with more learning
Data shows extra days pay off with more learning
Test scores from low-achieving students who attended additional school days indicate that the extra classroom instruction is yielding stronger academic achievement, according to data presented at the Tuesday, September 6 meeting of the Beaufort County Board of Education. [ read article ... ]
September 6: School Board meeting, agenda here
September 6
School Board meeting, agenda here
September 6: School Board Redistricting Committee meeting, agenda here
September 6
School Board Redistricting Committee meeting, agenda here
According to school district officials moving fifth graders to RSMS is necessary
According to school district officials moving fifth graders to RSMS is necessary
School district officials claim a plan moving fifth graders from Broad River Elementary, Shanklin Elementary, and Shell Point Elementary schools to Robert Smalls Middle School next school year is a necessity, however it is not yet necessary to move fifth graders to Beaufort Middle School. [ read article ... ]
Two incidents last week at Robert Smalls Middle School interrupted classes
Two incidents last week at Robert Smalls Middle School interrupted classes
The Sheriff’s Office reported two incidents last week that interrupted classes at Robert Smalls Middle School, possibly ending in criminal charges. [ read article ... ]
August 30: School District 7 representative Bill Evans hosting Town Hall Meeting
August 30
School District 7 representative Bill Evans hosting Town Hall Meeting
Bill Evans, District 7 representative to the Beaufort County Board of Education, will host a Town Hall Meeting at the Beaufort High School Performing Arts Center, Lady’s Island, on Tuesday, August 30 from 7:00-9:00 p.m. [ read article ... ]
August 25: Parent Forum Meeting at Robert Smalls Middle School, more information here
August 25
Parent Forum Meeting at Robert Smalls Middle School, more information here
August 24: Parent Forum Meeting at Beaufort Middle School, more information here
August 24
Parent Forum Meeting at Beaufort Middle School, more information here
Field study program expanded to Robert Smalls Middle School
Field study program expanded to Robert Smalls Middle School
Students and teachers at Robert Smalls Middle School are ready for a school year of new adventures in learning. This week, the entire student body is participating in a four-day kickoff event focused on team building, cooperation and leadership. These are skills they will need for participation in Learning Expeditions, an environmental education program being expanded to the middle school year. [ read article ... ]
School board decides to close 41 classrooms in seven schools
School board decides to close 41 classrooms in seven schools
At the Beaufort County School Board meeting held on Tuesday, August 16, board members made closing classrooms at seven schools official. This action is reported to save approximately $75,000, as well as cut the number of empty seats in half. [ read article ... ]
More seniors take ACT; scores dip
More seniors take ACT; scores dip
Beaufort County’s public high school seniors’ average scores on the ACT college entrance exam decreased in 2011 as more students chose to take the test. [ read article ... ]
Teachers and staff begin school year with 5th annual rally celebration
Teachers and staff begin school year with 5th annual rally celebration
Nearly 2500 Beaufort County teachers, staff and administrators will be coming together in the Bluffton High School on Thursday morning, August 11 at 11:00 a.m., to celebrate the beginning of a new school year in what has become the greatly anticipated annual Back to School Rally. [ read article ... ]
August 16: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
August 16
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
Beaufort County School District Bus Pick-Up Schedules for 2011-2012
2011-2012
Beaufort County School District Bus Pick-Up Schedules
Following are the links to the Beaufort County School District’s 2011-2012 Bus Pick-Up Schedules. [ read article ... ]
August 5: Beaufort County School Board work session, agenda here
August 5
Beaufort County School Board work session, agenda here
August 3: Beaufort County Redistricting Committee meeting, information and agenda here
August 3
Beaufort County Redistricting Committee meeting, information here
The Redistricting Committee of Beaufort County Council meets this week and will continue its review of proposed plans for a new map of County Council and Board of Education voting districts. [ read article ... ]
August 2: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
August 2
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
Bill Evans reports: School Board District 7 news
Bill Evans reports
School Board District 7 news
Even though its summer, there is a lot going on with our schools that will continue to be of significance going forward. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County PASS scores improve, narrowing gaps between local and state averages
Beaufort County PASS scores improve, narrowing gaps between local and state averages
Beaufort County School District students posted broad-based improvements on the 2011 administration of the Palmetto Assessment of State Standards (PASS), according to results released Friday, July 22, by the South Carolina Department of Education. [ read article ... ]
July 21 & 22: Beaufort County School District worksession, agenda here
July 21 & 22
Beaufort County School District worksession, agenda here
July 20: School Consolidation/Closure Task Force meeting, agenda here
July 20
School Consolidation/Closure Task Force meeting, agenda here
July 19: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
July 19
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
School closure task force expands list of possible school closings
Port Royal & Shell Point Elementary Schools
School closure task force expands list of possible school closings
Photo by Glenn Bridges
The School Consolidation/Closure Task Force formed by the Beaufort County School District held its second prelimary vote yesterday, July 13, adding Shell Point Elementary School to its list along with Port Royal Elementary.
[ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District: School Consolidation/Closure Task Force
Beaufort County School District
School Consolidation/Closure Task Force
Budget shortfalls and empty seats in classrooms in schools throughout the school district have prompted the Beaufort County School Board to consider closing at least one school for the 2012-2013 school year. The district formed a “School Consolidation/Closure Task Force” hoping to involve as many community members as possible. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District presents Back to School Expo 2011
Beaufort County School District presents
Back to School Expo 2011
Beaufort County School District is presenting its annual Back to School Expos on Saturday, July 23 and Saturday, July 30. [ read article ... ]
School Board hires Mona Lise Dickson as principal of Lady’s Island Middle
School Board hires Mona Lise Dickson as principal of Lady’s Island Middle School
Following approval by the Board of Education last Tuesday, July 5, Ms. Mona Lise Dickson will begin her new assignment this week as principal of Lady’s Island Middle School. [ read article ... ]
29 Beaufort County schools named award winners in HealthierUS School Challenge
29 Beaufort County schools named award winners…
HealthierUS School Challenge
Beaufort County School District leaders are pleased to announce that 29 of 31 Beaufort County Schools were designated winners in the HealthierUS School Challenge national awards. [ read article ... ]
Anita Lynn Nelson named principal of Whale Branch Elementary
Anita Lynn Nelson
Anita Lynn Nelson named principal of Whale Branch Elementary
The Beaufort County School Board has approved Ms. Anita Lynn Nelson as new principal of Whale Branch Elementary School. [ read article ... ]
Hilton Head High hires new athletic director
Mark Karen (image from www.gwinnettdailypost.com)
Hilton Head High hires new athletic director
The Beaufort County Board of Education has named Mark Brian Karen as the new athletic director of Hilton Head Island High School. [ read article ... ]
July 5: School Board meeting, agenda here
July 5
School Board meeting, agenda here
Bill Evans reports: School Board District 7 news
Bill Evans reports
School Board District 7 news
We have come to the end of the school year, students and families are getting in some vacation and teachers are trying to squeeze in some down time between college classes and other professional development opportunities. This has been a very busy six months but, there is still much to do over the summer to close out the year and prepare for the renewal of classes in August. [ read article ... ]
June 27: Beaufort County Council meeting, third and final reading of County and School District budgets, agenda here
June 27
Beaufort County Council meeting, third and final reading of County and School District budgets, agenda here
June 23: County and School leaders meet to discuss TIF, more information here
June 23
County and School leaders meet to discuss TIF, more information here
June 21: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
June 21
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
Whale Branch Early College High School hires Athletic Director
Whale Branch Early College High School hires Athletic Director
Carlos Vergil Cave has been named the new Athletic Director for Whale Branch Early College High School for the 2011-2012 academic year. [ read article ... ]
Whale Branch Elementary School makes gains
Whale Branch Elementary School makes gains
The State Department of Education has released Whale Branch Elementary from Palmetto Priority status. The school met the state guideline of improving the absolute rating at least one level, removing the school from an At-Risk status. [ read article ... ]
School district receives award for Excellence in Financial Reporting
School district receives award for Excellence in Financial Reporting
The Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting has been awarded to Beaufort County School District by the Government Finance Officers Association for the United States and Canada (GFOA) for its comprehensive annual financial report (CAFR). [ read article ... ]
School Board District 7: Bill Evans’ School Board News
School Board District 7
Bill Evans’ School Board News
The hot topics on the Board’s plate and in the community are the budget and the possible closure of schools; in reality the two are deeply connected. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District: Coastal Discovery Camps
Beaufort County School District
Coastal Discovery Camps
The Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn is a not-for-profit, community based, educational institution dedicated to fostering greater knowledge and appreciation of the cultural heritage and natural history of South Carolina’s Lowcountry. [ read article ... ]
Theresa Nicole Bishop: Twelve years of perfect attendance
Theresa Nicole Bishop
Twelve years of perfect attendance
If you’re looking for symbols of dedication and hard work, it’s hard to beat Theresa Nicole Bishop. When she graduates from Battery Creek High School at ceremonies next Thursday evening, June 2, she will have completed 12 years of school without missing a single day. [ read article ... ]
June 2, 3, 6 & 7: BCSD High School Graduation Ceremonies, information here
June 2, 3, 6 & 7
BCSD High School Graduation Ceremonies, information here
May 25, 26 & 31: BCSD School Closures discussions, information here
May 25, 26 & 31
BCSD School Closures discussions, information here
High school report card ratings revised: Battery Creek High School moves to average
High school report card ratings revised
Battery Creek High School moves to average
Photo from www.bch.beaufort.k12.sc.us
Battery Creek High School’s Absolute rating has improved from Below Average to Average due to the State Department of Education’s Appeal process. [ read article ... ]
Lady’s Island Middle School science teachers can answer the question
Lady’s Island Middle School science teachers can answer the question
Almost on a daily basis students invariably ask “Why do I have to learn this stuff?” The question is not new. It has been queried by pupils for years in classrooms everywhere. The answer is not always easily explained unless their teachers have first-hand knowledge of the application of academics to what is required in business and industry. [ read article ... ]
BCSD 2011 Spring Map score report
BCSD 2011 Spring Map score report
Beaufort County School District has released the 2011 Spring MAP Score Report. NWEA’s (Northwest Evaluation Association) Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) is the main determining assessment system in BCSD. Kindergarten through 8th grade students participated in the Spring testing. Following is the report. [ read article ... ]
May 17: Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
May 17
Beaufort County School Board meeting, agenda here
Community member chosen as recipient of Champions for Public Education award
Community member chosen as recipient of Champions for Public Education award
Community member, Ed Gillies, has been named the recipient of the Champions for Public Education Award. Ed Gillies serves on the Capital Improvements Advisory Committee as chairman for the Beaufort County School District. [ read article ... ]
May 10: Beaufort County School District Budget Public Forum
May 10
Beaufort County School District Budget Public Forum
BCSD 2011 Teachers of the Year announced
BCSD 2011 Teachers of the Year announced
Beaufort County School District teachers were treated with balloons, flowers, chocolate and proclamations this week as members of the Board of Education and District senior staff members made surprise visits to each teacher’s classroom to announce the 2011-2012 Teachers of the Year. [ read article ... ]
School district offering Robotics Camp
School district offering Robotics Camp
Beaufort County School District is offering Robotics Camps for elementary and middle school students this summer. [ read article ... ]
Bill Evans reports: School board district 7 news
Bill Evans reports
School board district 7 news
The temperatures are warming, the sand gnats are out and we are in the middle of lots of testing at the schools; it must be Spring in the Lowcountry! I had the occasion to see Wendy Pollitzer last Friday as we both joined Dr. Zais, State Superintendent of Schools and Rep. Shannon Erickson on a tour of local schools. It is always great to see the fabulous work being done by our students and teachers, but I was reminded that I had not written an update lately so here we are. [ read article ... ]
School bus overturned in Bluffton
Driver and one student injured, other students unharmed
School bus overturns in Bluffton
At approximately 6:54 a.m. this morning, Tuesday, April 19, a school bus was reported overturned at Old Miller Road near Grand Oaks Road in Pritchardville, Bluffton. [ read article ... ]
School board news: School board member Bill Evans speaks out
School board news:
School board member Bill Evans speaks out
Time for some more updated information on both the budget and the recent meeting on attendance zones and transfer policy. As we continue to move deeper into the budget preparation process and on to approval by the Board before presentation to the County Council, several new concerns and issues are becoming more prominent. [ read article ... ]
National expert says: Honesty & facts key to improving S.C. public-school education
National expert says:
Honesty & facts key to improving S.C. public-school education
By Adam Schaffer
I recently had the privilege of giving testimony in Columbia on the merits of an education tax credit bill being considered by state lawmakers. I was honored to join parents, local educators and education officials from other states to discuss education tax credit policies across the country and what makes for successful choice reform. [ read article ... ]
April 5: School Board meeting, agenda here
April 5
School Board meeting, agenda here
Focus on Beaufort County School District: Charter schools could ease budget woes, improve academics
Focus on Beaufort County School District
Charter schools could ease budget woes, improve academics
A long-time political activist from Bluffton says the Beaufort County School District could greatly reduce its financial overhead while also enhancing students’ academic performance by establishing more charter schools in the area. [ read article ... ]
April 2: 16th Annual KidFest
April 2
16th Annual KidFest
Image from www.beaufort.k12.sc.us
Everyone is invited to join us for the 16th Annual KidFest on Saturday, April 2 at the Cross Creek Shopping Center from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for a day of free fun and games. [ read article ... ]
April 4-8: Beaufort County School District Child-Find Screenings
April 4-8: Beaufort County School District
Child-Find Screenings scheduled
Image from www.childfindidea.org
The Beaufort County School District Child-Find Screenings will be held from April 4-8 for children turning 4 by September 1, 2011. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District press release: Balancing enrollment and student assignments
Beaufort County School District press release
Balancing enrollment and student assignments
The following is a press release by the Beaufort County School District:
On Saturday, March 19, the Board of Education wrestled with many issues relating to student assignments. With enrollments high in some schools and waning in some other schools, there has been much discussion in the community about schools being out of balance. [ read article ... ]
March 19: School Board budget worksession, agenda here
March 19
School Board budget worksession, agenda here
Graduation rates go down, Truesdale’s report card claims improvement
Truesdale’s report card claims improvement, the numbers contradict her
High-school graduation rate goes down
Data released by the SC Department of Education states that the Beaufort County School District’s on-time graduation rate fell by 8 percentage points in 2010 to 61%. In spite of this result, the district issued a press release today claiming high school report cards improved to “average” this year in the district. [ read article ... ]
March 15: Superintendant’s Goal Setting Committee meeting, agenda here
March 15
Superintendant’s Goal Setting Committee meeting, agenda here
March 15: School Board meeting, agenda here
March 15
School Board meeting, agenda here
March 2: School Board calls special meeting, personnel hearing
March 2: School Board special meeting, agenda here
School Board calls special personnel hearing
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a meeting on Wednesday, March 2, 2011, starting at 8:30 a.m., at the District office located at 2900 Mink Point Blvd. in Beaufort. [ read article ... ]
March 1: School Board meeting agenda
March 1 agenda
School Board meeting
February 18: School Board budget worksession, agenda here
February 18
School Board budget worksession, agenda here [ read article ... ]
February 15: School Board meeting, agenda here
February 15
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Two seventh graders bring knives to school
Two seventh graders bring knives to school
On Tuesday, February 1 two Bluffton Middle School seventh graders were charged with Possession of a Weapon on School Property. [ read article ... ]
School District wins record number of gold, silver awards
School District wins record number of gold, silver awards
Fifteen Beaufort County Schools are being recognized by the State Board of Education for high levels of academic achievement and improvement. [ read article ... ]
Other voices: “Nobody gets married any more, Mister”
Other voices
“Nobody gets married any more, Mister”
Editor’s comment: Concern over the state of our county’s schools, especially at the high school level, is expressed often in our readers’ comments. Most point blame at school administrators. But what about the students themselves and their parents? Are they not responsible for their moral values, their behavior and their educational outcomes? [ read article ... ]
Truesdale claims district “closing national gap”
Truesdale claims district “closing national gap”
Beaufort County School District Superintendent Dr. Valerie Truesdale (right) greets a participant at the community education forum held Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Dr. Valerie Truesdale, superintendent of Beaufort County Schools since 2007, says the report card recently released by the South Carolina Department of Education shows the district is “constantly closing in on the national gap.” [ read article ... ]
Education Forum highlights progress and room for improvement
Truesdale claims district “closing national gap”
Beaufort County School District Superintendent Dr. Valerie Truesdale (right) greets a participant at the community education forum held Friday at the Hilton Garden Inn.
Dr. Valerie Truesdale, superintendent of Beaufort County Schools since 2007, says the report card recently released by the South Carolina Department of Education shows the district is “constantly closing in on the national gap.” [ read article ... ]
February 1: School Board meeting, agenda here
February 1
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Bill Evans, District 7, Volume 3: School Board news
Bill Evans, District 7, Volume 3
Well, my first three weeks on School board have certainly been busy and we have already begun to tackle the really important issues out there. After induction on January 4, the Board met with the County Council and the Legislative Delegation to discuss the budget process; I thought the information was clear and it will give the legislators some good information to digest. [ read article ... ]
SC Legislation: School choice introduced
SC Legislation
South Carolina lawmakers have introduced legislation that would empower parents with the right to choose what educational options are best for their children. [ read article ... ]
Mike Sanz gives solutions for academic improvement in Beaufort County’s schools: “Do your homework, be prepared, and study!”
Mike Sanz gives solutions for academic improvement in Beaufort County’s schools
“Do your homework, be prepared, and study!”
Many of us have those few movies that we can just watch over and over. One of mine is “A Few Good Men” starring Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson. I am always mesmerized during the courtroom scene, when Cruise and Nicholson go at it. The classic exchange is when Nicholson’s character barks out, “You want answers?”, and the young attorney Cruise passionately responds with, “I want the truth!” [ read article ... ]
Montesorri and AMES: New school choice programs available in county schools
Montesorri and AMES
New school choice programs available in county schools
At its January work session, the Board of Education approved two new school choice programs for Beaufort County Schools. Beaufort Elementary School will implement a Montessori program for students in first through fifth grades. In addition, the highly successful Advanced Math, Engineering, and Science (AMES) Academy will expand to Pritchardville Elementary School, serving students in grades three and four. [ read article ... ]
January 18: School Board meeting, agenda here
January 18
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
January 17: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day local government closings
January 17
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day local government closings [ read article ... ]
School District important weather update: Two hour delay again today
School District important weather update
Two hour delay again today [ read article ... ]
January 7-8: School Board worksession, agenda here
January 7-8
School Board worksession, agenda here [ read article ... ]
January 4: School Board meeting, agenda here
January 4
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Senior participation in college-level courses increased, 2009-2010
Senior participation in college-level courses increased, 2009-2010
Each year, high achieving students have an opportunity to participate in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) college-level courses and exams. Through these extremely challenging programs of study, students can earn college credit, stand out in the college admissions process, and develop study habits necessary to succeed after high school. [ read article ... ]
Parents, be aware of what is happening with your children at school: Bullying
Parents, be aware of what is happening with your children at school
By Mike Sanz
The daily routine from hell had begun. I glanced at the clock and prepared myself for another journey through panic, fear and anxiety. I’m not sure of the exact date or which class I was in. After so many months of pain and suffering, the process and the specific moment became unimportant. It was early March and I was up on the second floor, a good distance from my locker. I knew that I would have to think quick, move smart and keep my head down as usual. [ read article ... ]
HE McCracken Middle School searched, nothing found
HE McCracken Middle School searched, nothing found
During a search conducted on Friday morning, December 17, no illegal contraband was found at HE McCracken Middle School, 250 HE McCracken Circle. [ read article ... ]
December 15: School Board meeting, agenda here
December 15
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
December 7: School Board meeting, agenda here
December 7
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
School District receives community foundation grant
School District receives community foundation grant
The Beaufort County School District has been awarded a $38,000 grant by the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry to implement a robotics initiative at five elementary schools in southern Beaufort County. The grant award will provide students at these schools with expanded learning opportunities using leading robotics technologies that will better prepare them with the knowledge, skills and personal responsibility necessary to succeed in a rapidly changing global society. [ read article ... ]
November 29: School Board Audit Committee meeting, agenda here
November 29
School Board Audit Committee meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Guest editorial: Education Voters Spoke, Who Will Listen?
Guest editorial
Education Voters Spoke, Who Will Listen?
By Randy Page, President of South Carolinians for Responsible Government (SCRG)
The numbers are shocking. 110,000 students trapped in persistently failing schools. 30,000 students per high school class fail to graduate on time. 87 public high schools identified as “dropout factories.” $12,200 per student in spending. A mere 44 cents per educational dollar directed to the classroom. [ read article ... ]
Bluffton Middle School searched
Bluffton Middle School searched
No illegal contraband was found at the new Bluffton Middle School, 30 New Mustang Lane, during a search conducted Tuesday morning, November 23. [ read article ... ]
Bluffton Elementary wins EdTech award
Bluffton Elementary wins EdTech award
Bluffton Elementary was recognized by the South Carolina Association for Educational Technology (SCAET) at the annual SC Educational Technology Conference (SC EdTech 2010) held in Myrtle Beach, October 27-29, 2010. [ read article ... ]
School District Thanksgiving schedule
School District Thanksgiving schedule [ read article ... ]
Report to public: New school board member Bill Evans says school funding is “heart of all the issues”
Report to public
New school board member Bill Evans says school funding is “heart of all the issues”
By Bill Evans, newly elected to represent District 7 (Lady’s Island) on Beaufort County Board of Education, winning over Robert White and replacing Jim Bequette, who did not stand for re-election.
First official contact as a board member took place last weekend at the Board Work Session on November 12 and 13. I received lots of information and the new members, although not yet official, were given plenty of opportunity to speak and ask questions about all of the issues. [ read article ... ]
School district awarded comprehensive math & science grant
School district awarded comprehensive math & science grant
The Beaufort County School District has been awarded a highly competitive Math Science Partnership (MSP) grant totaling $700,000 to implement a comprehensive initiative aimed at increasing student achievement in math and science over the next three years. The grant award culminated a year-long effort that included an extensive needs analysis and project plan that was submitted to the State Department of Education last July. [ read article ... ]
State report cards released: Beaufort County schools make gains
State report cards released
Beaufort County schools make gains
The South Carolina Department of Education released report cards for the elementary and middle schools today. The Beaufort County Schools’ report cards show “tremendous improvement” during the 2009-2010 academic year, according to a school-district news release. The High School report cards are delayed and will not be released at this time. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: Closing Shell Point Elementary makes no sense
Letter to editor
Closing Shell Point Elementary makes no sense
Recent article in Beaufort Gazette states the school board is looking at possible school closings. One of these schools is Shell Point Elementary which makes no sense. [ read article ... ]
November 12-13: School Board Worksession, agendas here
November 12-13
School Board Worksession, agendas here [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County Board of Education: Evans and Rivers win contested school board seats
Beaufort County Board of Education
Evans and Rivers win contested school board seats
Bill Evans won School Board District 7 (Lady’s Island), formerly held by retiring member Jim Bequette, with 56% of the vote over Robert White. Michael Rivers, the incumbent, won District 5 (St. Helena Island) with 61% over Faye Alston. These were the only two contested seats on the 11-member school board, members of which serve four-year staggered terms. [ read article ... ]
7th graders eligible for Duke University TIP almost doubles
7th graders eligible for Duke University TIP almost doubles
This fall, 296 Beaufort County School District 7th graders have been identified and invited to participate in the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP). The district has experienced a steady increase in eligible students over the past four years from only 168 in 2007-2008 to 296 currently in 2010-2011 while increasing every year. [ read article ... ]
Almost 26% of BCSD students flunk high school exit exam on first attempt
Almost 26% of BCSD students flunk high school exit exam on first attempt
25.9% of BCSD students flunked the state’s high school exit exam on their first attempt in 2010, according to results released today by the Education Department, meaning 74.1% passed. That represented an increase from 2009’s average passing rate of 71.1 percent, an overall increase of 3 percentage points, but still leaving Beaufort county’s schools below the state average. [ read article ... ]
Adopt a school campus and keep it litter free
Adopt a school campus
Mrs. Gilliard’s third graders at Coosa Elementary School work to keep the planet green and clean. The class adopted the school campus and sweeps it of litter and recycles bottles and cans. [ read article ... ]
November 3-5: DaVinci Days at public schools
November 3-5
DaVinci Days at public schools
100 Beaufort County School District students in grades 3-8 will be participating in the 2nd annual DaVinci Days creative workshops this week, November 3-5, 2010 from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. [ read article ... ]
November 2: School Board meeting, agenda here
November 2
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Bluffton Middle School teacher charged with disrupting school
Maria Katherine Urbin, 17 Ashton Cove Drive, HHI (05/06/1963); Charges: Public Disorderly Conduct and Disrupting School
Bluffton Middle School
Teacher charged with disrupting school
On Thursday, October 28, at approximately 8:00 a.m., Bluffton Police responded to an alleged intoxicated faculty member at Bluffton Middle School, 30 New Mustang Lane. [ read article ... ]
Men arrested on Lynching/Assault & Battery by a Mob charges for Bluffton High School assault
Bluffton High School assault
Men arrested on Lynching/Assault & Battery by a Mob charges
On Tuesday, October 26, at approximately 2:30 p.m. a 17-year-old male student was allegedly assaulted at Bluffton High School, 12 H.E. McCracken Circle, near the bus loading area. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District #6 “Worst Waster”
Beaufort County School District #6 “Worst Waster”
The Beaufort County School District is one of the “Worst Wasters” in excessive spending outside classroom instruction in the state according to a new report compiled by South Carolinians for Responsible Government, based on the latest figures released by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board. According to the report, only 35 cents of every dollar spent on Beaufort County’s public schools reached the classroom in 2009. [ read article ... ]
Two schools awarded arts curricular innovation grant
Two schools awarded arts curricular innovation grant
Beaufort Middle School and Lady’s Island Elementary School have been awarded funding from the South Carolina Department of Education (SCDE) for the 2010-2011 Distinguished Arts Program. [ read article ... ]
Tenenbaum Award honors middle school principal
Tenenbaum Award honors middle school principal
Phillip Shaw, principal of H.E. McCracken Middle School has been honored for outstanding performance in a training program that gives educators the kinds of skills used for success by top business executives. [ read article ... ]
Palmetto Electric Coop helps 3rd graders be energy savers
Palmetto Electric Coop helps 3rd graders be energy savers
Third-graders at Okatie Elementary School and all elementary schools in the district can learn how to save energy and save their families money thanks to Palmetto Electric Cooperative. On Thursday, October 14, with the help of the Touchstone Energy mascot CFL Charlie, the co-op distributed Super Energy Saver kits to Okatie Elementary School and will be delivering kits to all the elementary schools in the district over the next two days. The kits help teach students about electricity, electrical safety, energy savings and renewable energy. [ read article ... ]
Waiting for Superman
Waiting for better public schools
Here’s an article about public schools that you’ve just got to read from the hometown newspaper of the current incarnation of Superman himself.
Museum awarded EPA education grant
Museum awarded EPA education grant
The Coastal Discovery Museum has been awarded a $36,600 Environmental Education grant from the Environmental Protection Agency. The grant will be specifically used to work with Beaufort County School District’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) schools throughout the District to fund environmental science experiences. It is the Museum’s first ever federal grant. [ read article ... ]
40 years of public school data: More money does not improve student outcome
40 years of public school data
More money does not improve student outcome
Chart above shows that student achievement of 17-year-olds after their K-12 years of public school education has not increased one iota during the past 40 years after federal, state and local governments have poured trillions of taxpayer dollars into public schools.
Berkeley County school board chairman attacks school choice
Berkeley County school board chairman attacks school choice
Berkeley County school board chairman Kathy Schwalbe (pictured above) attacked her county’s state senator, Larry Grooms, for Grooms’ support of school choice, one of the major initiatives designed to foster better public schools in South Carolina. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County students make gains on end-of-course tests
Beaufort County School District students
Making gains on end-of-course tests
Student scores improved this year on South Carolina’s high school end-of-course exams, with various demographic groups showing better performance in almost every area. [ read article ... ]
October 5: School Board meeting, agenda here
October 5
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Other voices: “Obama’s education vision deserves an F”
Other voices: Nick Gillepsie of Reason
“Obama’s education vision deserves an F”
Other voices: “Biggest issue plaguing troubled schools is children’s sociological and psychological problems”
Other voices: The Washington Post
“Biggest issue plaguing troubled schools is children’s sociological and psychological problems”
[ read article ... ]
Other voices: “Reading, writing, speaking and reasoning are the most important skills to teach”
Other voices: The New York Times
“Reading, writing, speaking and reasoning are the most important skills to teach”
[ read article ... ]
Bill Evans, running for School Board District 7: Closing schools not always best way to save money, serve students
Bill Evans, running for School Board District 7
Closing schools not always best
Close schools to save money? Re-draw attendance areas to shift students to under-used schools? Move grade levels to better balance enrollments? Tough questions without easy answers – but answers will be needed by the next Beaufort County Board of Education. [ read article ... ]
88% of HHI 3rd graders flunk 2010 PASS math test
Joan Deery says HHI’s African-American & Hispanic students “not doing well”
88% of HHI 3rd graders flunk 2010 PASS math test
In addition to reporting a 34% overcapacity in construction in Beaufort County’s public schools, school board member Joan Deery’s recent email to her fellow board members included a spreadsheet showing that African-American and Hispanic students in the Hilton Head Island schools are, in her words, “not doing well”, which is perhaps the understatement of the year. In one school 88% of African-American 3rd graders flunked the math test and 70% flunked the reading test. In the same school 60% of the Hispanic 3rd graders flunked the math test. [ read article ... ]
Empty classrooms, empty schools, overburdened taxpayers: Beaufort County School District has 34% too much capacity
Empty classrooms, empty schools, overburdened taxpayers
Beaufort County School District has 34% too much capacity
Update with corrected statistics based on text of Joan Deery’s email to Beaufort County school board members:
Beaufort County School District, which has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to construct new schools, now finds itself with 34% too much capacity, the school board revealed to the public at its meeting this past Tuesday, September 21. [ read article ... ]
34% over capacity in Beaufort County’s schools: Text of Joan Deery’s email to Valerie Truesdale
34% over capacity in Beaufort County’s schools
Joan Deery’s email to Valerie Truesdale
Following is Beaufort County school board member Joan Deery’s September 9 email to Valerie Truesdale, Beaufort County superintentent of education, regarding overcapacity in the county’s schools: [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: “Our schools have become a place of apathy and violence”
Letter to editor
“Our schools have become a place of apathy and violence”
The school situation in SC, and particularly in Beaufort County, is an embarrassment to all of us, and what is particularly sad is that such a small percentage of these students are even reaching graduation. [ read article ... ]
Mike Sanz: School District’s response is “unbelievable”
Mike Sanz: School District’s response is “unbelievable”.
“Unbelievable that they are using these angles to avoid publishing what every citizen of Beaufort County has a right to know” says Mike Sanz to The Beaufort Tribune about the School District’s response to his questions. Following is Sanz’s reply to Dr. Jesse Washington III’s email: [ read article ... ]
School District responds to Mike Sanz’s questions
School District responds to Mike Sanz’s questions
Following is an email sent to Michael Sanz by Jesse Washington III, Ph.D., Director for School and Community Services, Beaufort County School District, on Friday, September 24: [ read article ... ]
Readers ask: When are the school board and Valerie Truesdale going to answer Mike Sanz’s questions?
Readers ask:
When are school board & Truesdale going to answer Sanz’s questions?
Numerous comments in recent days by readers of The Beaufort Tribune to questions raised by Michael Sanz, the Beaufort County public school teacher who has publicized failings in our county’s school system, indicate a high level of citizen concern that deserves immediate, forthright answers from public officials. [ read article ... ]
Guest editorial comment: A teacher’s call to innovate
Guest editorial comment
Across South Carolina, parents, students and teachers are back to school, several weeks into the new school year. For many, the beginning of a new school year marks new opportunities, another chance to prepare for a promising future. But all teachers know that the hopes of success for some children will be short lived. [ read article ... ]
September 21: School Board meeting, agenda here
September 21
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County public school teacher Mike Sanz: Are my allegations fact or fiction?
Beaufort County public school teacher Mike Sanz
Mike Sanz asks: Are my allegations fact or fiction?
A little over a month ago, I presented seventeen questions to Superintendent Truesdale, Assistant Superintendent Rosswurm, the school board and the principal of Hilton Head Island Middle School, Jim Shirley. My hope was through the “Fact or Fiction” section of the school district web site, the community would be provided with answers and responses to these questions. I received zero responses to these questions. [ read article ... ]
School District announces Teacher of the Year
School District announces Teacher of the Year
At a breakfast held this Friday morning, September 17, to honor all of the teachers of the year from Beaufort County School District, Tennille Scheriff was named as the District Teacher of the Year, according to a press release. [ read article ... ]
State, regional gaps remain on SAT scores
State, regional gaps remain on SAT scores
South Carolina’s best and brightest public school students continue to lag far behind their peers in North Carolina and Georgia as well as private school students here in the Palmetto State. [ read article ... ]
School District issues public statement regarding Eleonore Bednarsh
School District issues public statement regarding Eleonore Bednarsh
The Beaufort County School District issued a press release on September 3, 2010 regarding Eleonore Bednarsh, the former Director of Riverview Charter School and the lawsuit she filed in March 2010. The press release issued follows. [ read article ... ]
September 7: School Board meeting, agenda here
September 7
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
ABCTE Names Beaufort’s Jeremiah Young as Inaugural Teacher of the Year
ABCTE Names Beaufort’s Jeremiah Young as Inaugural Teacher of the Year
The American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE) has named Jeremiah Young, a science teacher from Beaufort High School in South Carolina, as the recipient of its inaugural National Teacher of the Year Award, according to a press release by PRWeb. [ read article ... ]
ACT scores released, Beaufort County continues growth
ACT scores released, Beaufort County continues growth
The South Carolina Department of Education released ACT college entrance scores on Wednesday, August 18. Seniors in Beaufort County continue to make positive growth. All high schools made gains in composite scores from 2009 to 2010, according to a press release. [ read article ... ]
School District names five finalists for District Teacher of the Year
School District names five finalists for District Teacher of the Year
At a luncheon held Tuesday, August 10, five finalists were named for the Beaufort County School District Teacher of the Year, according to a School District press release. [ read article ... ]
August 17: School Board meets, agenda here
August 17
School Board meets, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Beaufort High School Class of 1970 40th reunion
Beaufort High School Class of 1970 40th reunion
Mike Sanz asks questions of school board and superintendent
Mike Sanz asks questions of school board and superintendent
Mike Sanz, the dissident Beaufort County public school teacher who is leading an effort to improve student behavior and academic performance, recently submitted a long list of questions to our local school board (headed by Fred Washington) and to our local superintendent of education (Valerie Truesdale). He has asked The Beaufort Tribune to print his questions, which follow: [ read article ... ]
Results of Michael Sanz’s first public meeting on school culture and academic rigor
Results of Michael Sanz’s first public meeting on school culture and academic rigor
Michael Sanz, the Bluffton High School teacher who has gone public with his concerns about the low level of academic accomplishment and student behavior in the Beaufort County public schools, completed his first public meeting on school culture and academic rigor this past Wednesday, July 28. [ read article ... ]
August 3: School Board meets, agenda here
August 3
School Board meets, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District continues growth toward adequate yearly progress
Beaufort County School District continues growth toward adequate yearly progress
The Beaufort County School District increased the number of schools meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 2010 according to data released today by the South Carolina Department of Education as part of requirements of No Child Left Behind according to a School District press release. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County public schools hosting a back to school expo
Beaufort County public schools hosting a back to school expo
Beaufort County public schools will host a Back to School Expo Saturday, July 31 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., in the cafeteria of Battery Creek High School, 1 Blue Dolphin Drive, Beaufort, SC according to a press release. [ read article ... ]
SC’s public school dropout rate rises again
SC’s public school dropout rate rises again
A new report issued by the U.S. Department of Education points to another rise in South Carolina’s public school dropout rate. [ read article ... ]
July 23-24: School Board work session, agenda here
July 23-24
School Board work session, agenda here
Mike Sanz announces public meeting aimed at Beaufort County School District reform
Mike Sanz announces public meeting aimed at Beaufort County School District reform
Mike Sanz, the Beaufort County public school teacher who spoke out for “three pillars of respect, discipline and courage” in a mass email and had his laptop computer seized by school administrators in retaliation, is holding a public meeting aimed at reforming the school district. [ read article ... ]
Joan Deery speaks: Departing school board member’s comments reveal why she is not running for re-election
Joan Deery speaks
Departing school board member’s comments reveal why she is not running for re-election
Departing Beaufort County Board of Education member Joan Deery (District 1, Hilton Head), who is not running for re-election in the upcoming general election in November, was recently interviewed by The Beaufort Tribune about her views on the Board of Education and the Beaufort County School District. Here is a summary of her comments: [ read article ... ]
July 20: School Board meeting, agenda here
July 20
School Board meeting, agenda here
Beaufort High teacher vies for SC Teacher of Year award
Beaufort High teacher vies for SC Teacher of Year award
A Beaufort High School teacher, Jeremiah Young, is one of three South Carolina state finalists for the Teacher of the Year award by the American Board for Certification of Teacher Excellence (ABCTE). [ read article ... ]
Detour from reality: Beaufort County public school’s sign of the times
Detour from reality: Beaufort County public school’s sign of the times
The new $35 million Whale Branch high school is slated to open its doors to students for the first time in just a few weeks. This entrance sign suggests it’s going to be a detour to a fast route to college. But is it actually an exercise in doublethink? [ read article ... ]
July 6: School Board meeting, agenda here
July 6
School Board meeting, agenda here [ read article ... ]
County council rejects school board tax increase
County council rejects school board tax increase
At its regularly scheduled board meeting on Monday, June 28, Beaufort County Council rejected in a close split vote Beaufort County Board of Education’s plans to increase school taxes two percent. The school board wanted to fund with taxes a $2.3 million spending increase included in its $175 million budget for fiscal year 2010-2011, which begins July 1. The vote was 6-5 against the increase with every member of council present and voting (even the often absent Laura Von Harten). [ read article ... ]
South Carolina public school graduation rate near rock bottom
South Carolina public school graduation rate near rock bottom [ read article ... ]
Editor’s comment: Of guns and graduates
Editor’s comment
Two articles in The Beaufort Tribune today epitomize the chasm that separates civilized man from savage man in contemporary American society, indeed in contemporary Beaufort society. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort High School graduates 348 seniors, names and valedictory speech here
Valedictorian Lindsey Ware
Beaufort High School graduates 348 seniors, names and valedictory speech here
Tribune obtains School District’s “Acceptable Use Policy”
Here’s School District’s “Acceptable Use Policy” [ read article ... ]
Ladys Island Elementary first graders spot dolphins
First graders spot dolphins [ read article ... ]
Teacher Mike Sanz throws down gauntlet to Valerie Truesdale & school board: “Put me in charge of worst school and I will fix it”
Teacher Mike Sanz throws down gauntlet to Valerie Truesdale & school board:
“Put me in charge of worst school & I will fix it” [ read article ... ]
Opinion poll results: 89% of Beaufort High critics point finger at administrators
Opinion Poll Results:
89% of Beaufort High critics point finger at administrators [ read article ... ]
May 18: School board committee to meet for internal audit, agenda here
May 18: School board committee to meet for internal audit, agenda here [ read article ... ]
Parent: Beaufort High School is in crisis
Parent says:
Beaufort High School in crisis.
Battery Creek High School JROTC cadets honored
Cadet 2nd. Lt. Anthony Grant and Wayne Cousar of the SAR
Battery Creek High School JROTC cadets honored
On May 14 Beaufort’s Gov. Paul Hamilton Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR) and Gen. Richard H. Anderson Camp of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) honored two of Battery Creek High School’s top Marine JROTC Cadets for the 2009 – 2010 school year. [ read article ... ]
May 10: School board meets in secret today on racial quota agreement
May 10: School board meets in secret today on racial quota agreement
The 11-member Beaufort County Board of education meets to at 3:30 p.m. in executive session. On the agenda is an update on the agreement the board has with the U.S. Office for Civil Rights. That agreement sets quotas for the racial makeup of schools within the Beaufort County School District. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County school administrators seize physics teacher Mike Sanz’s laptop computer, claim violation of “policy”
Sanz’s computer seized for “violation of policy” [ read article ... ]
School district makes new budget public after Beaufort Tribune news article
Beaufort County School District makes budget public after The Beaufort Tribune news article
The Beaufort County School District made public its upcoming $175 million FY 2010-2011 budget on its web site Friday, May 7, following revelation by The Beaufort Tribune that the district had failed to present the budget at two public hearings on the budget it held earlier this week on Hilton Head Island and in Beaufort. The Beaufort Tribune also revealed that the school board had adopted the budget even before holding these two public “hearings”. Approval came at the board’s May 4 meeting, the day before the first public hearing. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: It’s about time someone had the guts to speak up about our failed schools
Letter to editor:
It’s about time someone had the guts to speak up about our failed schools
It’s about time someone had the guts to speak up about the way our schools have been allowed to decay throughout the years. Our future community leaders deserve better than we are giving them. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: School board members should be removed for malfeasance
Letter to editor:
School board members should be removed for malfeasance
I live in Beaufort only part of the year and have no children. I am glad to pay school taxes because really, a community is only as good as its schools. Beaufort, a town I love, is failing in that regard. [ read article ... ]
Editor’s comment: School board “hearing” on “proposed budget” failed to show budget and was not a hearing
Editor’s comment:
School board “hearing” on “proposed budget” failed to show budget and was not a hearing
On Thursday evening, May 6, the Beaufort County Board of Education held the second of its “public hearings” on its “proposed” FY 2010-1011 Beaufort County School District budget. The meeting was held at Robert Smalls Middle School in a room that the citizens had trouble finding due to absence of signage at the school’s front door directing the public to the meeting. No budget document was presented at the meeting. The chairman admitted in answer to a question that the school board had already passed the budget, meaning that this was not a proposed budget but an adopted budget as far as the school board is concerned and was not a hearing but a window dressing. [ read article ... ]
Violence is everyday occurrence in Beaufort County public schools
Violence is everyday occurrence in Beaufort County public schools
Violence is an everyday occurrence in Beaufort County public schools according to reports at the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office as verified by a reporter for The Beaufort Tribune. Below is a list of only some of the violent events that occurred in the schools during a typical two-week period. None of these reports is routinely furnished to the news media in press releases by the police nor made available by the school system. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: Beaufort County education system is a shame bordering on gross negligence
Letter to editor:
Our education system is a shame bordering on gross negligence
The education system in Beaufort County (and probably state wide) is a shame bordering on gross negligence. The “powers that be” solution is to throw money (taxpayer’s money) at the problem, usually by increasing their own compensation. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: School board throws good money after bad
Letter to editor:
School board throws good money after bad
I am writing in support of Mike Sanz’s letter to the School Establishment. As the parent of a Beaufort County Public School child, I hear what goes on in the schools and am in utter amazement. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: Students not only ones to blame for weakened school discipline
Letter to editor:
Students not only ones to blame for weakened school discipline
When I taught in Beaufort County schools the one point that central administration was missing is the number of tries a student needs to graduate. Just because it takes 24 credits does not mean the student needs teachers for 24 classes. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County public school teacher Mike Sanz says quality education is falling apart in Beaufort County
Beaufort County public school teacher Mike Sanz says:
Quality education is falling apart here [ read article ... ]
Public hearing on FY 2010-2011 school district budget today
Editor says:
Go to the school budget hearing today !
Editor’s note: The least-read article in the entirety of The Beaufort Tribune during the past several days is this notice about yesterday’s and today’s public hearing on the school budget. The proposed school budget is by far the largest annual public-spending initiative subject to local taxation in Beaufort County. We ask: does the public really care about our public schools ? We urge: Go to the public hearing today on the proposed school budget and tell the school board what you think ! [ read article ... ]
May 4: School board meets today, agenda here
May 4: School board meets today, agenda here
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 4. Preceding this public session the board will convene at 4:30 p.m. in executive session. The meeting will be held in the chambers of Beaufort County Council, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Here is the agenda: [ read article ... ]
April 23 & 24: School board work sessions, agendas here
April 23 & 24: School board work sessions, agendas here
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold full-day work sessions today, April 23, and tomorrow, April 24, starting at 8:30 a.m. each day. [ read article ... ]
Statewide overview of public education report card
Statewide overview of public education report card
The Education Oversight Committee of the South Carolina State Legislature released yesterday, April 19, discussion points for the 2009 report card on schools issued by the South Carolina Department of Education. The Beaufort Tribune published on Friday the report card for the Beaufort County School District. These discussion points provide a statewide overview of the results of the report card. [ read article ... ]
April 20: School board meets today, agenda here
April 20: School board meets today, agenda here
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 20. Preceding this public session the board will convene at 5:30 p.m. in executive session. The meeting will be held in the chambers of Beaufort County Council, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Here is the agenda: [ read article ... ]
Other voices: South Carolinians need school choice
Other voices: South Carolinians need school choice
The report card issued late last week by the South Carolina Department of Education that Beaufort County’s public schools are below average and have fallen further behind begs for a solution to the problem of poor education in our county. Here is one proposal that is gaining increasing attention statewide– school choice–in an editorial by Philip Bowers, a member of the South Carolina Board of Education. [ read article ... ]
2009 report card for Beaufort County’s schools: Below average and headed downward
2009 report card for Beaufort County’s schools: Below average and headed downward
The South Carolina Department of Education has just released its 2009 annual school report cards. The results show that performance in the schools in the Beaufort County School District continue below average and have fallen further behind compared to previous years and to comparable school districts in the state. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County Board of Education meeting agenda: April 6, 2010
Beaufort County Board of Education meeting agenda: April 6, 2010 [ read article ... ]
Hilton Head resident announces intention to run for seat on school board
Hilton Head resident announces intention to run for seat on school board
Community advocate, philanthropist, and local business co-owner/operator Steven Morello has announced his intention to file for candidacy in District 1 in the upcoming Beaufort County school board elections. [ read article ... ]
Signs of the times: Maryland’s two richest counties slash budgets, is rich Beaufort next?
Signs of the times: Maryland’s two richest counties slash budgets, is rich Beaufort next?
Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties, the richest counties in Maryland and each about six times the size of Beaufort County, are hoisting signs of the times, slashing their governmental and school budgets and laying off county and school employees. Is that what’s in store for rich Beaufort County? [ read article ... ]
Other voices: Is affirmative inaction the policy for school violence when race is involved?
Other voices: Is affirmative inaction the policy for school violence when race is involved? [ read article ... ]
Joan Deery quits school board, third incumbent to announce no bid for re-election
Joan Deery quits school board, third incumbent to announce no bid for re-election
Joan Deery, member of the Beaufort County board of education from District 1, Hilton Head Island, announced Friday she is quitting the board at the end of her current term this year. [ read article ... ]
SC makes first short list in US educational “Race to the Top”
SC makes first short list in US educational “Race to the Top”
The US Department of Education announced today that it has chosen South Carolina as one of the 16 winners in the first round of its “Race to the Top” competition. Race to the Top is the federal government’s latest effort to improve educational outcomes in the nation’s public schools by offering $4.35 billion for educational innovations especially through the increased use of charter schools. [ read article ... ]
Jim Bequette quits school board after one term
Jim Bequette quits school board after one term
Jim Bequette, a member of the Beaufort County Board of Education for one term of office, announced yesterday that he is giving up the office at the end of his term. The announcement came at the board’s regular meeting last evening. [ read article ... ]
Tuesday’s school board meeting promises to be interesting
Tuesday’s school board meeting promises to be interesting
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, March 2. Announcements embargoed until that time are due from the chairman and at least one school board member according to information stated in confidence to The Beaufort Tribune. [ read article ... ]
Riverview board stays neutral in racial numbers investigation
Riverview board stays neutral in racial numbers investigation
Following is a public statement released by the board of directors of Riverview Charter School on Monday, March 1: [ read article ... ]
School board meets Tuesday, March 2, agenda here
School board meets Tuesday
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 5. Preceding this public session the board will convene at 4:00 p.m. in executive session. The meeting will be held in the chambers of Beaufort county council, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Here is the agenda: [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: School board members need close voter scrutiny
Reader: School board members need close voter scrutiny
Dear Editor,
It appears to me that all of us, with or without children in school, should be paying much closer attention to who is being elected to the Beaufort County Board of Education. [ read article ... ]
Riverview insiders report SC attorney general seeks racial “falsification” info
Riverview insiders: Attorney gen’l seeks racial “falsification” info
Riverview Charter School insiders have reported to The Beaufort Tribune that the S.C. attorney general is asking the state auditor’s office to look into the racial numbers issued by the Beaufort County School District and report any malfeasance. [ read article ... ]
School board’s Riverview racial “error” approximates 5%
School board’s Riverview racial “error” approximates 5%
The Beaufort Tribune has obtained spreadsheets showing that the “error” in the racial composition of the Beaufort County public schools reported by the Beaufort County School District was skewed approximately 5% in favor of African-American students. [ read article ... ]
Riverview parents: We want an independent investigation of the school district
Riverview parents: We want an independent investigation of the school district
The Beaufort Tribune has obtained the following letter, which is being distributed by Riverview Charter School supporters to all Riverview parents to obtain their signatures on the attached letter to the school board:
Dear Riverview Parents:
Please take a moment to review the attached letter to the Beaufort County Board of Education. As we are now well-aware, there are serious questions surrounding the data released by the District to Riverview and the Office of Civil Rights regarding the actual diversity numbers of children in the County. [ read article ... ]
Reader: An open letter to the voters, hold school board members accountable
Reader: An open letter to the voters, hold school board members accountable
To the voters of Beaufort County:
With the current turmoil regarding the Beaufort County School District’s Board of Education and Riverview Charter School, it is relevant to point out 2010 is an election year where voters have the opportunity to hold particular board members accountable. [ read article ... ]
Riverview supporter says school district’s racial data “falsification”
Dear Concerned Riverview Parents:
I am sure that we were all relieved, celebratory and jubilant when we got the news earlier this week that RCS [Riverview Charter School] has dodged a bullet. But, like a real-life near miss, once the relief subsides, one starts to wonder: where did that bullet come from, how was the gun aimed so accurately and who was pulling the trigger? [ read article ... ]
Editorial cartoon: Riverview outsmarts them
Riverview Charter School says school board racial numbers are wrong, goes forward with lottery plans
Riverview: School board racial numbers wrong, onward with lottery
Riverview Charter School’s board of directors announced late Tuesday afternoon it has obtained SC Board of Education statistics on the racial makeup of students in Beaufort County public schools refuting claims by our local school board of a high African-American percentage. “The average white population in grades K – 6 in Beaufort County is at least 4 percentage points higher than what was originally provided to Riverview by the Beaufort County School District”, the announcement stated. “We look forward to holding our enrollment lottery as soon as possible.” [ read article ... ]
Jonathan Green, noted artist of the Lowcountry, supports Riverview Charter School
Jonathan Green, noted artist of the Lowcountry, supports Riverview Charter School
In a letter directed to Fred Washington, chairman of the Beaufort County Board of Education, the noted Lowcountry artist Jonathan Green has issued a plea to the school board to support Riverview Charter School. Here is Jonathon Green’s letter in full: [ read article ... ]
Riverview calls meeting after board of education’s non-support
Riverview calls meeting after school board’s non-support
In a letter from Mary Foster, communications chairperson of the Riverview Charter School board of directors, Riverview’s leaders have called on the Riverview family of supporters to attend a “Town Hall meeting” tonight, Thursday, February 18, in The Commons. The purpose of the meeting is to “clear up any confusion you may have about information that was presented there [at the school board meeting Tuesday], and answer questions that still linger”. [ read article ... ]
Two important school district meetings today and tomorrow
Two important school district meetings today and tomorrow
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold two important meetings today and tomorrow: [ read article ... ]
Fred Washington, chairman, Beaufort County Board of Education: An open letter to General Assembly members
An open letter to General Assembly members
The following is a open letter released today, February 3, 2010, by Fred Washington, chairman, Beaufort County Board of education to the members of the South Carolina General Assembly. Because of its importance in focusing attention on the dire need in our society to care for at-risk children beginning at age zero, we are publishing his letter verbatim in full:
I do not envy you and the challenges you face in governing our state during these difficult economic times. [ read article ... ]
News release: School “Adequate Yearly Progress” increases due to changes in testing
News release: School “Adequate Yearly Progress” increases due to changes in testing
Officials have released details of this year’s public school rankings and parents are in for a surprise. While Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) scores for elementary and middle schools across South Carolina have risen slightly, changes in the testing, not higher levels of student achievement, are the cause. [ read article ... ]
Twelve of 27 Beaufort County schools meet “Adequate Yearly Progress” requirement
Twelve of 27 Beaufort County schools meet “Adequate Yearly Progress” requirement
Twelve of the 27 Beaufort County public schools met “Adequate Yearly Progress” (AYP) for 2009, according to data released today by the South Carolina Department of Education. None of the 12 is a high school and only one is a middle school. The other 11 schools meeting the objectives are all elementary schools. Nine of the twelve schools are located north of the Broad River, and three of the twelve are located south of the Broad River. [ read article ... ]
School board member Jim Bequette pays The Beaufort Tribune the ultimate compliment
School board member Jim Bequette pays The Beaufort Tribune the ultimate compliment
If imitation, as it is often said, is the sincerest form of flattery, then Beaufort County Board of Education member Jim Bequette has today paid The Beaufort Tribune and its editor the ultimate compliment. In an email message sent far and wide by Bequette today that refers to the bankrupt Bluffton Today as if it were somehow superior to us, he said: [ read article ... ]
SC schools given “D” for student achievement
SC schools given “D” for student achievement
Weary parents in South Carolina were given more bad news about their public schools this week. Education Week, a national school watchdog, issued its annual “Quality Counts” report card on which South Carolina earned a “D” for student achievement. [ read article ... ]
School board meets today to discuss civil rights desegregation agreement
School board meets today to discuss civil rights desegregation agreement
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a work session meeting starting at 9:00 a.m. Friday, January 8. The meeting will begin with a one-hour executive session to discuss the school district’s civil rights desegregation agreement with the US Office for Civil Rights. The meeting will be held in the school district’s board room, 1300 King Street, Beaufort. Here is the agenda:
School board meets Tuesday, first time in 2010, agenda here
School board meets Tuesday
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a regular meeting starting at 5:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 5. Preceding the public session the board will convene in executive session starting at 4:00 p.m. The meeting will be held in the chambers of Beaufort county council, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Here is the agenda: [ read article ... ]
School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale’s salary frozen, academic results withheld, employment contract renewed
School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale’s salary frozen, academic results withheld, employment contract renewed
Beaufort County School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale received a renewal of her employment contract but a frozen salary at the school board’s meeting yesterday. The board announced last month that any salary increase for Truesdale was dependent on receipt from the state of the results of student achievement tests. Yesterday the board withheld from public view the achievement test results but refused to increase Truesdales’ salary, signalling that the test results were not favorable to Truesdale. [ read article ... ]
School board meets today to embargo PASS scores, Truesdale contract nowhere to be seen, agenda here
School board meets today to embargo PASS scores
The 11-member Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting today starting at 4:15 p.m. in executive session and 6:00 p.m. in public session. The executive session includes an item called “Embargo PASS data”, which means the board intends to keep secret the State level student achievement data contained in what is know as the PASS scores until a certain date. Consideration of Superintendent Valerie Truesdale’s employment contract, announced in November for this meeting, is not stated on the agenda. [ read article ... ]
Watchdog group reports statewide drop in high school exit exam scores
Watchdog group reports statewide drop in high school exit exam scores
On the same day the Beaufort County Board of Education stated it is withholding its evaluation of Superintendent Valerie Truesdale’s 2008-2009 performance on academic results until receipt of State level student achievement data, the watchdog organization South Carolinians for Responsible Government reported the results of this year’s Exit Exam, an academic test administered to public high school students across South Carolina. According to figures from the State Department of Education, only 76.1% of students passed both the English/Language Art and Math portions of the exam, down from 80.8% last school year. [ read article ... ]
Board of Education issues statement about superintendent’s job performance, delays evaluation of her academic results
School Board makes statement about superintendent’s job performance
The Beaufort County Board of Education announced Tuesday it is withholding its evaluation of Superintendent Truesdale’s 2008-2009 academic results until after receipt of State level student achievement data. After the board’s executive-session meeting Tuesday, the board issued a statement about its evaluation of Truesdale’s 2008-2009 job performance excluding academic results. The statement said that “excluding academic results which are not yet available, the results of that review yielded the collective opinion of the Board that overall the Superintendent has exceeded expectations”. [ read article ... ]
Special school board meeting Tuesday to evaluate Superintendent Truesdale, agenda here
Special school board meeting Tuesday to evaluate Superintendent Truesdale
The 11-member Beaufort County board of education will hold a special meeting in executive session Tuesday at 4:30 pm, November 24. The purpose of the meeting is to conduct the 2008-2009 evaluation of the superintendent, Valerie Truesdale, and for personnel matters. [ read article ... ]
Editorial cartoon: School board agenda
School board meets tomorrow, Truesdale’s evaluation on the agenda
School board meets tomorrow, Truesdale’s evaluation on the agenda
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. tomorrow evening, November 17. Preceding the public session the board will convene in executive session starting at 4:00 p.m. for the 2008-2009 evaluation of the superintendent, Valerie Truesdale, and for personnel matters. [ read article ... ]
Pressure grows for phase-out of SC’s Educational Oversight Committee
Pressure grows for phase-out of SC’s Educational Oversight Committee
A member of the South Carolina state legislature is leading the crusade that classroom teachers, not consultants and bureaucrats, ought to be the top priority in the South Carolina public school budgets, That contention has come from critics of the local Beaufort County public school system too. [ read article ... ]
School board meets tonight, agenda available here
School board meets tonight
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a regular meeting starting at 6:00 p.m. this evening, November 3. The meeting will be held in the chambers of Beaufort county council, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. [ read article ... ]
St. Helena Elementary students get new bicycles for good behavior
St. Helena Elementary students get new bicycles for good behavior
Two outstanding St. Helena Elementary School students were presented new bicycles and safety helmets on Friday as part of the school’s behavior management program. [ read article ... ]
School Board’s two-day retreat Friday & Saturday, superintendent under review
School Board retreats Friday & Saturday, Truesdale reviewed
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a two-day retreat at its main office, 1200 King Street, Beaufort, on Friday and Saturday. The sessions will begin at 8:30 a.m. each day and are open to the public. On the Saturday agenda is a two-hour executive session to conduct the 2008-2009 performance review/evaluation of the superintendent, Valerie Truesdale. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort county youth speak out today against drugs, violence & gangs
Beaufort county youth speak out against drugs, violence & gangs
The group Citizens Against Violence Everywhere (CAVE) invites local teenagers to attend a Youth Speak-Out Saturday at noon at Technical College of the Lowcountry (TCL), Ribaut Road, Beaufort. The gathering will take place in TCL’s auditorium. [ read article ... ]
South Carolina’s public schools ranks 48th in high school graduation rate
SC public schools rank 48th in high school graduation rate
Out of 50 states, South Carolina ranks 48th in “Average Freshman Graduation Rate” (AFGR), a measure of freshman who go on to receive full high school diplomas, according to a new report by the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB), the nonprofit, nonpartisan organization based in Atlanta GA that helps government and education leaders in its 16 member states work together to advance education. [ read article ... ]
Southern Regional Education Board sets goals for education
SREB sets goals for education
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) has established these goals for education. They are built on the groundbreaking education goals SREB adopted in 1988 and on an ongoing effort to promote actions and measure progress. The goals raise further the sights of the 16 SREB states and challenge them to lead the nation. [ read article ... ]
Editorial observation: Famed New York Times columnist joins criticism of public school system
Criticism of public school system rises
One of the most widely read and highly respected journalists in The New York Times, Thomas Friedman, has joined the rising chorus of criticism of the public school system. Writing as an op-ed columnist in the Times’ October 20 edition, Friedman said “We need to understand that it is not only our financial system that needs a reboot and an upgrade, but also our public school system….We’re not going back to the good old days without fixing our schools as well as our banks.” [ read article ... ]
South Carolina official data shows public school spending continues to climb
Public school spending continues to climb
Data recently released by the South Carolina Budget and Control Board show that K-12 public schools across the state increased their spending by 4.5 percent last year to $8.4 billion for 2008. [ read article ... ]
Here’s agenda for school board meeting today
School board meets today
The 11-member Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting today starting at 5:30 p.m. in executive session and 6:00 p.m. in public session. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: South Carolina lowers standards to make student test scores “rise”
Reader: SC lowers standards to make student test scores “rise”
Recently, state lawmakers and the South Carolina Education Oversight Committee bowed to the special interests of the South Carolina School Boards and School Administrators Associations to weaken the new PASS test (PACT’s replacement) for assessing student academic achievement. [ read article ... ]
Columnist catalogs what makes a good school
Columnist catalogs what makes a good school
Columnist Nicholas Kristof listed good teachers as the most important element in public school education in a column published by The New York Times yesterday. “Research has underscored that what matters most in education — more than class size or spending or anything — is access to good teachers,” he wrote. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County School District to be recommended for accreditation
School district to be recommended for accreditation
This past Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday a 12-member AdvancEd accreditation team visited 12 Beaufort County public schools, completed 59 classroom observations and conducted 398 interviews with eight school board members, 64 administrators, 110 teachers, 35 support staff, 81 parents, community and business partners, and 100 students, according to a press release by the school district. [ read article ... ]
Editor: An open letter to our readers
An open letter to our readers
We are reporting to you on a failure by school board members to engage in public discourse regarding our public schools. Last Tuesday, following county council’s rejection of the school district/school board’s request for a $2.4 million mid-year school tax increase, The Beaufort Tribune sent the following email to the school district’s community services coordinator: [ read article ... ]
Editor: An open letter to Jim Bequette, a member of Beaufort County Board of Education
An open letter to Jim Bequette, a member of Beaufort County Board of Education
Dear Mr. Bequette,
Regarding your voicemail message of yesterday to us complaining about our articles about school spending and other school matters, which can be heard by our readers by clicking here, we want you to know that The Beaufort Tribune has not received any email messages or other correspondence from you within the past two months. If you sent the messages you described in your voicemail, they did not reach us, so please read on. [ read article ... ]
Editor: An open letter to Valerie Truesdale, superintendent of education
Editor: An open letter to Valerie Truesdale, superintendent of education
Dear Ms. Truesdale,
Please answer as many of the questions we asked in our editorial as you feel comfortable answering. We addressed those questions both to you and to the school board members, so we hope the board members will also respond. [ read article ... ]
School district announces “Topping Off Ceremony” for Whale Branch High School
“Topping Off Ceremony” for new high school announced
The “Topping-Off Ceremony” for the new Whale Branch High School will be held Tuesday, November 3, at 3:00 p.m. , according to an announcement from the school district’s community services office. [ read article ... ]
School board meets tomorrow afternoon
School board meets tomorrow afternoon
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a regular meeting Tuesday afternoon in county council chambers, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. with an executive session for one hour to discuss “personnel and student services matters”, followed by a public session beginning at 6:00 p.m. [ read article ... ]
Editorial observation: School district is starting a propaganda campaign
Here are questions the school district & school board need to answer
The Beaufort County School District issued a press release yesterday, a Sunday, which is an unusual day for the administrators of our school district to be at work for any reason, much less to write and send out a press release. The press release is unusual for another reason–it purports to be a statement from the school district, but it is actually a statement from the school board, or is it? [ read article ... ]
Of 22 elected officials, only two answer Tribune’s request for explanation of rejection of $2.4 million school tax increase
22 elected officials asked, only two answer on $2.4 million school tax rejection
Of the 11 elected members of the Beaufort County Board of Education and the 11 members of the Beaufort County Council, a total of 22 elected officials, only two responded with substantive answers to The Beaufort Tribune’s request for their comments on county council’s rejection on Monday of the school district’s $2.4 million tax-increase request. A third promised his comments later, and a fourth made irrelevant comments. [ read article ... ]
School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale explains why district wanted $2.4 million more
School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale explains $2.4 million request
Beaufort County School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale, left, provided the following statement yesterday afternoon to The Beaufort Tribune in response to our request for her comments on Beaufort County Council’s rejection on Monday of the school district’s request for a $2.4 million mid-year increase in school taxes: [ read article ... ]
Sea Island Rotary Club receives $16,000 from Beaufort High School student donations
Sea Island Rotary Club receives $16,000 from student donations
Meredith Keene and Marc Fisher of Sea Island Rotary receive $16,000 check from Dan Durbin, Beaufort High School principal.
Sea Island Rotary Club of Beaufort received a $16,000 check from Beaufort High School students at last weekend’s homecoming football game. The funds will benefit Polio Plus, one of the club’s chosen charities that is also a beneficiary of the club’s Adopt A Shrimp charity race to be held Saturday during the Beaufort Shrimp Festival. [ read article ... ]
Historic first: County council stands up to school board and votes down school tax increase
County council kills school board tax increase
In an historic first, Beaufort County Council at its regular meeting last night killed a mid-year tax increase demanded by the Beaufort County Board of Education. The council’s vote was 7-3 against the tax increase with one member of the 11-person council absent. [ read article ... ]
$2.4 million school tax increase on county council agenda for Monday
$2.4 million school tax increase on council agenda Monday
Beaufort County Council will hold a regular meeting starting at 4:00 p.m. Monday in council chambers, Ribaut Road, Beaufort. On the agenda is the proposal by the Beaufort County Board of Education to increase spending and school taxes by $2.4 million. This happens to be the exact amount of money the school system has contributed to the operation of the new Riverview Charter School, approved by the board after the budget was acopted in June, though the board asserts the increase is not due to Riverview. [ read article ... ]
Letter to editor: Administrators and school boards want to dumb down SC’s school evaluations
School critic: Don’t dumb down student performance measures
There is one sector of the South Carolina economy where government employee unions (or self-styled “public sector professional associations”) thrive and a powerful but self-serving minority constantly threatens the broader long-term public good. That anomalous exception is the public school system. [ read article ... ]
Here is the Beaufort County School District bureaucracy
Meet your school district bureaucracy
Below is the organizational chart of the Beaufort County School District “Leadership Team”, according to the school district’s web site. What are the names of the people who compose this bureaucracy? Why are school teachers not shown as part of this “Leadership Team”? Why aren’t students shown as the focal point of all of this leadership?
Click here to view the organizational chart.
State oversight agency says Beaufort County’s public school system is “below average” and “in jeopardy”, trend is downward
Beaufort County’s public schools get D for “below average”, trend is downward toward flunking
The independent, nonpartisan group set up by the South Carolina state legislature to oversee improvement in our state’s K-12 public education system has given Beaufort County’s public schools a D for performance, which is “below average” and “in jeopardy” of not meeting next year’s performance goals. Our school system’s performance trend is downward compared to previous years, in the direction of flunking out. [ read article ... ]
Editorial cartoon: Tax and spend is for the kids, NOT!
At $15,240 per student, Beaufort County’s spending is already at the highest level in South Carolina, according to a study recently concluded by The Voice for School Choice, an initiative of South Carolinians for Responsible Government (SCRG). [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County Board of Education meets today, agenda available here
Board of Education meets today
Letter to editor: What about the public schools?
Reader wants more news about public schools
Beaufort Academy is a private school with good people. But what about the public schools? [ read article ... ]
250-pound high school student chokes 70-pound sixth grader on county school bus
Beaufort County Detention Center mug shot of Marcus Anderson-Wright, age 17, weight 250 pounds, booked on felony charges of choking boy, age 12, weight 70 pounds, released on $35,000 bond
250-pound high schooler chokes 70-pound middle schooler on county school bus
A 17-year-old Bluffton High School student weighing 250 pounds choked a sixth grade middle school boy weighing 70 pounds on a Beaufort County school bus Tuesday, according to a press release from the Bluffton Police Department. [ read article ... ]
School board votes to increase property taxes, places burden on commercial property and non-owner-occupied residences
School board increases property taxes in split vote
At the reconvened meeting of the Beaufort County Board of Education yesterday afternoon, the board voted 8-3 to raise the property taxes on commercial property and non-owner occupied homes by 1.4 mils to cover a predicted $2.4 million “shortfall”. [ read article ... ]
Here are the members of the Beaufort County Board of Education
Meet your board of education representative
Here are the members of the 11-person Beaufort County Board of Education. They hold elective office positions.
Each member of the board represents the voters in a single geographical district in Beaufort county. As the result of a change in law by county council in the 1980s, there are no longer any at-large representatives on the board of education representing the collective view of all the voters in the county.
This means each voter elects only one representative on the Beaufort County Board of Education, the representative from the voter’s district.
Do you know who is your board of education representative? Find him or her below.
School board ponders increasing property taxes, reconvenes today
School board adjourns overnight, reconvenes today to consider raising property taxes
In what has been described as an unprecedented move, the Beaufort County Board of Education adjourned its regular meeting last night and will reconvene today. The reason for coming back is to take up the question of raising the mileage rate on property taxes to cover what school district officials called an “unanticipated budget deficit”. [ read article ... ]
Agenda for tomorrow’s Board of Education meeting available here
Board Of Education meets tomorrow
The Beaufort County Board Of Education will hold a regular meeting September 1, 5:00 p.m., county council chambers, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. Click here for the agenda.
Riverview Charter School seeks volunteers
Riverview Charter School, which opened its doors to students for the first time yesterday, is seeking a corps of volunteers from the community to help with a variety of tasks at the new school throughout this school year. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County schools begin 2009-2010 session today; complete list of schools here
Classes begin today in 32 county schools
Classes begin today for the 2009-2010 session in the 32 schools comprising the Beaufort County School District–21 elementary, 6 middle, and 5 high schools . Approximately 18,000 students will arrive to begin their studies in classes that range from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade. [ read article ... ]
Here is agenda for tomorrow’s board of education meeting
Beaufort County Board of Education meets Tuesday
The Beaufort County Board of Education will hold a regular public meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, starting at 6:00 p.m. in county council chambers, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. An executive session to discuss a confidential personnel matter will take place at 5:00 p.m. before the public meeting. Here is the agenda: [ read article ... ]
News brief: Beaufort High School’s 40th reunion class of 1969
40th reunion: Beaufort High School class of 1969
The Beaufort High School class of 1969 is having its 40th reunion the weekend of August 28 and 29, Friday night at Harold’s Country Club and Saturday at the Amvets in Port Royal. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort High School class of 1959 plans 50th reunion
50th Beaufort High School reunion: The Tidal Wave rolls on
Members of Beaufort High School’s class of 1959 (above in 1959) are celebrating their 50th reunion the weekend of October 9-11. So far 47 classmates have registered to attend the events, some from as far away as California and Colorado. [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County spends $15,240 to educate each public school child, highest spending level in state
Beaufort County’s public school spending at highest in state
At $15,240 per student, Beaufort County’s spending is the highest spending of any large school district in South Carolina, according to a study recently concluded by The Voice for School Choice, an initiative of South Carolinians for Responsible Government (SCRG). [ read article ... ]
Riverview Charter School needs classroom items
Riverview Charter School seeks donations of classroom items
Riverview Charter School is seeking donations of items to equip its classrooms for the start of the school year. This Saturday, August 8, from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., and Monday, August 10 from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Riverview will be accepting donations at the school building, 302 Burroughs Avenue, Beaufort, of items needed. [ read article ... ]
Ethnic composition of Beaufort County public schools released
African Americans are 95.7% in one Beaufort County public school
At the request of The Beaufort Tribune following the recent imposition of a fixed quota of African Americans on the new Riverview Charter School in order to reach “racial diversity”, the Beaufort County School District has released a spreadsheet showing the ethnic composition of each school in the county’s public system.
The figures, printed below, show that 95.7% of the students in one of the schools, James J. Davis Elementary, are African Americans, the most racially concentrated school in the district. [ read article ... ]
Get accurate student uniform chart here for Beaufort County’s public schools
Uniforms required for elementary & middle schools
Elementary and middle school children in the Beaufort County public school system are required to wear uniforms to school this year.
Printed below is the revised chart of uniforms for elementary and middle school children. It is accurate according to officials at the Beaufort County School District’s head office. [ read article ... ]
Here is agenda for tomorrow’s board of education meeting
Beaufort County board of education meets Tuesday
The Beaufort County board of education will hold a regular public meeting tomorrow, Tuesday, starting at 6:00 p.m. in county council chambers, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort. An executive session to discuss personnel matters will take place at 5:00 p.m. before the public meeting. Here is the agenda: [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County Board of Education picks award-winner as new principal
Jennifer Morillo heads Beaufort Elementary School
Jennifer Morillo, an award-winning middle school assistant principal of the year, was named principal of Beaufort Elementary School by the Beaufort County Board of Education at an executive-session meeting on Monday.
Ms. Morillo has been with the school district since 2001, serving as a mathematics teacher at H. E. McCracken Middle School 2001–2004 and, most recently, as assistant principal at Lady’s Island Middle School.
During her tenure at Lady’s Island Middle School, Ms. Morillo was named middle school assistant principal of the year by the South Carolina Association of School Administrators. [ read article ... ]
Editorial: Beaufort County School District ignores Riverview Charter School
The biggest news in public education in northern Beaufort county for the past two years has been the herculean effort by hundreds of leaders, families and supporters to open Riverview Charter School. Riverview is a county public school under the purview of the Beaufort County School District. Yet one would never know Riverview Charter School exists if one were to visit the school district’s web site. [ read article ... ]
Title VI of Civil Rights Act of 1964: Overview of the law
The following is a summary of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting discrimination based on race, color or national origin, as stated on the web site of the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education: [ read article ... ]
Riverview Charter School shows entrepreneurial spirit
Riverview Charter School’s leaders have stepped out smartly to complete the tasks necessary to open the school on August 17, following last Saturday’s approval of the school by the Beaufort County board of education. Proof is no further away than the following letter to Riverview’s families and supporters from Riverview’s volunteers and enrichment chairperson, Mary Foster. [ read article ... ]
Riverview Charter School adjusts to racial quota requirements
In a rapid response to the imposition on Saturday of a fixed racial quota of African-American students and teachers at the new Riverview Charter School by the Beaufort County Board of Education and the U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR), the school’s leaders announced yesterday immediate steps to comply with the requirements. [ read article ... ]
Editorial comment: Press access to governmental information “a necessary ingredient of good government” says S.C. Attorney General
The recent and ongoing inability of The Beaufort Tribune readily and easily to obtain public information from the Beaufort County Board of Education and the Beaufort County School District brings us to publish today the complete text of the South Carolina Freedom of Information Act.
The Attorney General of South Carolina says it best in his preface to the act: “A diligent and alert press is a necessary ingredient of good government, and as public officials we have a duty to assist members of the media in the exercise of their responsibilities.” [ read article ... ]
Riverview Charter School leaders, families and supporters celebrate approval
Riverview Charter School leaders, families and supporters are celebrating today approval of their school to open on August 17 as the first charter school in the Beaufort County public school system. [ read article ... ]
Breaking news: Beaufort County Board of Education imposes racial quota on Riverview Charter School
The Beaufort County Board of Education voted this morning to impose a racial quota on Riverview Charter School to guarantee a fixed minimum percentage of African-American students as the price of its willingness to approve the school for opening on August 17. [ read article ... ]
Riverview Charter School organizers say school board will approve today
Riverview Charter School organizers announced by email late Friday afternoon to the 170 families of the students chosen by lottery to attend the school that “the Board of Education will formally vote on our charter at their retreat tomorrow (Saturday, July 18) at 9:00 A.M. in the School District offices on King St.” [ read article ... ]
Complete text of email message from Riverview Charter School
The following is the complete text of the email message from Riverview Charter School to the 170 families planning to send children to Riverview: [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County Board of Education meets tomorrow, agenda unavailable
The 11 members of the Beaufort County Board of Education will meet for their summer “retreat” tomorrow. The agenda for the meeting is not known to The Beaufort Tribune because public information about the board’s agendas, and about the operations of the school district, are not readily available to the public. [ read article ... ]
Editorial comment: Beaufort County School District flunks “transparency” test
Transparency is the process of conducting the public’s business so that the public knows what is going on. The impenetrable wall blocking public access to public information is supposed to be torn down, replaced by transparent gossamer through which public information flows freely to the public. [ read article ... ]
Truesdale says Riverview may not open, other schools not change
In a tortuously worded, reluctantly released statement, Beaufort County School District’s superintendent of education, Valerie Truesdale, revealed late last week that Riverview Charter School may not open in August and other schools in the district may not change due to decisions that “adversely affect racial composition.” [ read article ... ]
Full text of statement by School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale
The following is the full text of the statement by School Superintendent Valerie Truesdale: [ read article ... ]
Beaufort County Education Board cancels July 21 meeting, retreats on July 18, agenda unknown
The Beaufort County Board of Education has cancelled its July 21 regularly scheduled meeting, which had been planned to follow its summer retreat on July 18. [ read article ... ]
Riverview Charter School issues statement, continues hopeful
Riverview Charter School leaders continue hopeful that the school will be approved by the school board and will be open on August 17, according to a statement e-mailed by Geri Kinton, the school’s communications chairperson, to Riverview’s 170 families this past Thursday, July 9. [ read article ... ]
School district acknowledges role of The Beaufort Tribune in informing public
The Beaufort County School District acknowledged on Friday the role of The Beaufort Tribune in keeping the public informed about the Riverview Charter School situation. [ read article ... ]
Editorial cartoon: Beaufort County School District, where learning has to wait on the OCR
Cartoon by Michael Benton
School board delays decision on Riverview Charter School again
Anticipated by supporters of Riverview Charter School to be the “drop-dead date” for a decision on approval of their new school (click here for related article), today proved to be a non-date when the Beaufort County Board of Education failed to place the issue on its 6:00 p.m. meeting agenda. [ read article ... ]
Today is apparent deadline for civil rights office to seal fate of Riverview Charter School
Riverview Charter School’s fate remains uncertain
Today, June 30, is the self-imposed deadline of the U.S. Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to decide whether to approve the opening of Riverview Charter School in August, according to Geri Kenton, the school’s communications director. [ read article ... ]
Quarter billion dollar county and school budgets to be adopted on Monday
County and schools
spend $1,055,545 a day
Beaufort county council is poised to pass on third and final reading the county’s $103,769,730 budget and the school district’s $171,425,974 budget at its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday.
Taken together, the budgets total $275,195,704, more than a quarter billion dollars in local public spending for county government and county schools. That is a spending rate of $1,055,545 every work day [ read article ... ]
School board delays vote on charter school approval; civil rights office expresses concerns
Riverview supporters shocked by school board’s delay
“Yes, tonight’s the night folks!”, Riverview Charter School’s publicity chairperson, Geri Kinton, announced in advance of Beaufort County’s school board meeting on Tuesday to the 170 families planning to send their 247 children to the long-anticipated charter school. [ read article ... ]
Two Battery Creek High School Marine JROTC cadets receive awards
Beaufort, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. Gerald Wynn of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) presented Cadet 2nd Lt. Niels McCullers (pictured above) with the H. L. Hunley Medal, named for the Confederate submarine and first submersible craft to sink a vessel in combat. [ read article ... ]
