CCSD Board Priorities 

After months of intense study and listening, the CCSD Board of Trustees recently approved a set of bold actions taking steps to better align the work of the district and schools with the stated value that students are “the heart” of our work.

CCSD has well-documented extremes in performance by schools within our county, and these actions acknowledge that the system must take courageous steps to ensure more students start school ready to learn, have equitable access to programs of excellence, feel safe and supported by excellent teachers and graduate ready to pursue their dreams for quality of life. 

Acceleration Schools

• Approved Actions
  • District staff will bring proposed waivers to the CCSD Board of Trustees in February to provide leaders of 15 Acceleration Schools greater autonomy; approved waiver requests will be forwarded to the State Board of Education for approval.

District 10 Middle School Merger

• Approved Actions
  • West Ashley Middle School and C.E. Williams Middle School will merge with all District 10 middle school students (grades 6-8) located on the new C.E. Williams Middle campus that is opening in August 2020. This was approved by the CCSD Board of Trustees on January 27, 2020, as a follow-up to an earlier decision to merge the schools in August 2020 with West Ashley (or suitable location) housing grade 6 and C.E. Williams housing grades 7-8. The CCSD staff will engage with District 10 stakeholders to develop a long-term middle school plan by June 2020. The Board will include any associated facility needs as part of the November penny sales tax referendum for capital projects.

Early Childhood Education

• Approved Actions
  • District Administration will create the Mary Ford Early Childhood and Family Engagement Center, a model for 4-year-olds (child development) and 5-year-olds (kindergarten) with universal preschool and family engagement center at Mary Ford Elementary opening in Fall 2020. Current students in grades 1-5 at Mary Ford will be zoned to attend Chicora Elementary. Chicora’s child development and kindergarten students will be zoned to attend Mary Ford. The center at Mary Ford will also serve eligible Early Head Start (ages 0-2) and Head Start (age 3) with certified teachers.

Partnership Solicitation For Interest

• Approved Actions
  • Nine entities responded within the designated time frame of the Solicitation. Four of the respondents sought partnership arrangements rather than management of the school. Five respondents may fit the turnaround management concept.

Individual School Level Actions

Academic Magnet

• Approved Actions
  • To develop new entrance criteria for Academic Magnet High School for 2020-21 based on a revised point system.

Buist Academy

• One Pager  | Approved Actions
  • Buist Academy’s entrance criteria and school configuration will be changed beginning with the 2020-21 school year.

Memminger Elementary International Baccalaureate Magnet

• Approved Actions
  • Memminger will serve as a countywide IB magnet with a K-5 advanced academic component. Additional kindergarten students will phase in, effective 2020-21. The attendance zone will remain in place unless future revisions are made by the constituent board.