Why arent attendance zones established to better utilize under-capacity schools?
Conversations about this subject have been the topic across Beaufort in February as Superintendent Valerie Truesdale met with school staffs and parents. Making better use of underutilized schools is a priority but so is maintaining community connections to schools. The quality of teaching directly impacts student success, but parental and community involvement also weigh heavily on that formula. We must be mindful of this, and the efficient use of tax dollars, as we examine changes in attendance areas. For instance, it is possible to bus students from crowded Bluffton elementary schools to the less-crowded Broad River Elementary and Whale Branch Elementary. But, the question begs, is that added time on the bus the best thing for the student? Additionally, the series of Community Conversations in Beaufort have surfaced other ideas to make best use of our buildings, including creating magnet schools or reconfiguring schools grades.
