Back to school in York County – new spaces, new faces and, for some, a new bell schedule
Dee Christopher is responsible for a small city with more people than towns such as Great Falls or Kershaw, or the islands of Edisto or Kiawah.
He oversees the safety, health, education and recreation of more than 2,000 people and serves them lunch. He manages a network of streets that are filled with impatient and inexperienced drivers. Major roadways packed with traffic are his boundaries.
On Monday, Christopher’s job will get both easier and tougher as Fort Mill High School opens for 2015-2016.
It should be easier for Christopher – who is in his ninth year as principal – because a major construction project has “flipped” the high school. What was once the back of the campus is now the front.
The location of the new “front door” is designed to resolve his transportation challenges. The main entrance for visitors and student drop-off traffic is now off U.S. 21, where there is a new traffic light. Student drivers and buses will enter the campus from Munn Road.
Separating the different kinds of traffic should improve access to the school, Christopher said.
The drop-off loop passes by two other major changes on campus: a new front office building and the “R” wing – the former Riverview Elementary, which has been converted to serve primarily ninth grade students. Freshmen will spent about 75 percent of their day there, he said.
With the additions, Fort Mill High now has 450,000 square feet of space and 128 classrooms for its 2,000 students and 156 staff and teachers.
The new space has allowed Christopher to group teachers by department and to create specialty classrooms for programs such as dance and Marine Junior ROTC.
Also this year, classes will start and end 10 minutes later, with the school day running 8:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m.
Don Worthington: 803-329-4066, @rhherald_donw
What’s new in Rock Hill schools?
▪ Late-start dates are not included in the 2015-2016 school calendar. The school board made the change after listening to parents, many of whom said it was a hardship to get their children to school two hours later than normal. Others were concerned about leaving their children at home to wait on the school bus while they left for work.
▪ The iRock 1:1 computer initiative expands to students at Northwestern, Rock Hill and South Pointe high schools. In October, students should receive an HP EliteBook 840 G2 computer.
▪ Parents must choose whether to buy a $35 per computer technology protection plan. Those who opt out of the plan bear all responsibility for lost or damaged devices. Replacement cost for a laptop is $850, for iPads, $379. Students who choose to bring their own devices are not required to buy the protection plan.
▪ Students in grades 3-12, regardless of their ability to buy the protection plan, will be allowed to take their computers home.
▪ Lesley King is the new principal at Independence Elementary, replacing Jill Pappas, who is now executive director of elementary education. King had been assistant principal at Northside Elementary School of the Arts.
▪ Rich Melzer is the new executive director of professional learning and school choice. He had been the district’s executive director of elementary education.
What’s new in York schools?
▪ Richard Ball is the new principal at York Middle School, replacing Rod Ruth, the new Clover High principal. Ball had been an assistant principal at Castle Heights Middle in Rock Hill.
▪ Becky Dover is the new principal Hickory Grove-Sharon Elementary, where she had been assistant principal. She replaces Dietrich Long, who left to take a position with Clover schools.
▪ Beverley Bowman, former Nation Ford principal, is the new assistant superintendent of instruction and administration.
▪ Diana Smith is the new coordinator of student services. She had been an assistant principal in Chesterfield County.
▪ Amy Hagner is the new assistant superintendent for finance and operations, replacing the retiring Matt Brown.
▪ Oliver Love is the new director of human resources, replacing the retiring Maria Duncan.
What’s new in Clover schools?
▪ Rod Ruth is the new principal at Clover High School, replacing Mark Hopkins, who is now the district’s executive director of secondary education and administrative services. Ruth had been principal at York Middle School last year.
▪ Bethany Elementary has a new entrance that directs visitors to the front office, where they will be buzzed in.
▪ Oakridge Middle has a new traffic pattern. Vehicles will no longer enter off S.C. 557 but turn at the traffic light at Oakridge Road and then follow a new driveway.
▪ A $4.5 million renovation of Memorial Stadium is complete, with a new turf field, restrooms and seating.
▪ The district enters the second year of its 1:1 computer initiative. Parents must choose whether to buy a $50 per computer insurance plan or assume liability for the device.
What’s new in Fort Mill schools?
▪ Jason Johns is the new principal at Nation Ford High School, replacing Beverley Bowman, who left to become assistant superintendent of instruction and administration in York. Johns had been principal at Banks Trail MiddleSchool, where he will be succeeded by Mike Platt, who had been assistant principal at Springfield Middle School.
▪ New starting times for all schools: Elementary school hours are 7:40 a.m. to 2:25 p.m., starting and ending five minutes earlier than last year. Middle school hours are 8:10 a.m. to 3:20 p.m., starting and ending 10 minutes earlier. High school hours are 8:40 a.m. to 3:40 p.m., starting and ending 10 minutes later.
▪ Matthew Johnson is the new principal at Orchard Park Elementary School, replacing Linda Locklier who retired.
This story was originally published August 15, 2015 at 9:10 PM with the headline "Back to school in York County – new spaces, new faces and, for some, a new bell schedule."