‘More of this to come’: Clover School District votes to shift elementary school students
It’s the hardest decision school board members say they’ve faced, and it may not be the last.
The Clover School District finalized a plan Monday night that will shift some students from one elementary school to another. The school board voted to shift residents in what it calls the Faulkner area from Bethany Elementary School to Larne Elementary School.
Bethany is over capacity, while Larne has space.
The 5-2 board vote came as board members heard from parents and one another on multiple options -- from new construction to an attendance freeze.
Board member Jessica Cody said all but the board chairman are new to redistricting.
“This is a new venture for us,” Cody said. “It’s very difficult. We were always told it’s going to be the hardest thing we ever did, and it’s true.”
Board member Mike Ballard said there were spirited discussions and phone calls in more than a month leading to the decision, and even into Monday afternoon and evening. One parent made a final plea at the board meeting to keep students at Bethany.
“We love all of our schools in Clover School District,” Ballard said to any families impacted by the decision. “And your child will be loved and educated and fed, and be welcomed as a part a family of whatever school.”
Board member Matt Burris began just last fall, but expects more hard conversations as the district works with increased enrollment at its elementary schools.
“The discussions around this have been easily the most emotionally charged for our group and unfortunately for us,” Burris said, “there’s going to be more of this to come.”
Through last school year, Clover enrollment had grown 34% in a decade. Lake Wylie in particular is in a high-growth area, but Bethany sits on the western portion of the district where individual moves and parceling out of larger lots have led to more students, even if there aren’t a lot of large new subdivisions.
The area that now will go to Larne is southeast of the S.C. 161 and Faulkner Road intersection. A map shown Monday night dots more than two dozen homes in that area with students.
Superintendent Sheila Quinn said the difficult discussion at Bethany is part of a larger plan needed for the district.
“We’ve got to solve the issue of space at our elementary schools,” Quinn said.
Larne will put students transitioning from Bethany who are in the same grade together in classrooms, as part of efforts to ease the move.
“We will work hard to work together, to make this a good transition,” Quinn said.
This story was originally published April 11, 2023 at 2:35 PM.
