Fort Mill high school attendance lines to change when Catawba Ridge opens
Some high school students in Fort Mill high will attend a different school next year.
The Fort Mill school district on Monday held a public meeting at Nation Ford High School on new high school attendance lines.
The district’s third high school, Catawba Ridge High School, is set to open for the 2019-’20 school year, prompting the changes.
There are three options being considered for new attendance lines. Two of those include transfers of some students from Fort Mill High School to Nation Ford High School.
All options include transfers from Fort Mill and Nation Ford high schools to Catawba Ridge, and would accommodate growth due to new development in the district.
The Fort Mill school board will make a final decision on the changes on Nov. 6.
The district is asking for parent feedback via an online survey.
Catawba Ridge will open with grades 9 to 11. It will ensure that with all attendance line options, rising seniors can finish out high school at their current school, according to the school district.
“We’ve got ... arguably the two best high schools in the state,” said Fort Mill Superintendent Chuck Epps. “It’s just in our DNA ... there’s no reason we won’t have the three most outstanding high schools.”
Catawba Ridge Principal Dee Christopher, who is entering his 13th year working for the Fort Mill school district, said he is looking forward to continuing that pattern in the new school.
Christopher said he has been researching and visiting schools, looking for best practices to bring back to Fort Mill and Catawba Ridge.
“I know the quality of educators that we have ... I want you to know, from the principal of the school, how excited I am about the opportunities that we have in front of us,” Christopher said.
Monday’s meeting referred specifically to high school attendance lines.
New elementary and middle school attendance lines will come closer to the completion of those new schools, said Joe Burke, spokesman for the district.
View the proposed attendance lines here.
This story was originally published October 1, 2018 at 10:17 PM.