District 1 board hears petition on school quality

By: Shireese Bell/Morning News | SCNow
Published: May 08, 2008

The Florence School District 1 Board of Trustees received information on several items Thursday evening, including a petition urging a constitutional change to require high-quality schools and public school choice.

Superintendent Larry Jackson presented details on a petition urging a change in the state constitution to guarantee children in the state a “high-quality education that would allow them to reach their highest potential.”

The change would replace the state’s current standard of “a minimally adequate education.”

State Superintendent Dr. Jim Rex has signed the petition and is calling for South Carolinians to join him.

Board members were asked to visit the Web site, www. goodbyeminimallyadequate.

com, to get more details about the petition.

Randy Koon, assistant superintendent of instruction, discussed the No Child Left Behind school choice regulation.

Each year, school districts must inform parents their child is eligible to transfer to another school and the district must list at least two transfer schools to choose from. Any student in a school that has failed to meet “adequate yearly progress” for two consecutive years and has been identified as “needs improvement” can transfer to another school in the district.

Instead of offering parents a choice of all eligible schools, the district will select the schools available for choice.

Koon said offering only two options would help with the increase in student enrollment in schools on the western side of the district. The change wouldn’t affect the majority/minority transfer policy.

Luther Rabon, the district’s chief financial officer, provided an update of the district’s 500 (Building) Fund. April projects include a practice field upgrade at South Florence High School and

roof replacements at North

Vista and Royall elementary schools.

The board recognized the following: Melanie Zhao, a junior at West Florence High School, for receiving a perfect score on the SAT; Moore Intermediate School for being named the National SAVE Chapter of the Year; Carver and Royall elementary schools for closing the achievement gap; Yvonne Rhodes, a government teacher at Wilson High School, for being named the S.C. Bar Law Related Education Teacher of the Year; Chih-Chieh “Jack” Chan and Zachary Kapopoulos, both of West Florence High School, and Tsung Jui “Ray” Tsai of Wilson High School, for being named Robert C. Byrd Scholarship recipients. Tsai also was recognized for receiving a National Merit Scholarship.

District 1 board hears petition on school quality

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