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Horry County superintendent defends decision to keep schools open during Carolina Forest wildfires; board presses for more transparency
Summary
Superintendent Cliff Jones reviewed air-quality steps taken during recent Carolina Forest wildfires — HVAC settings, bipoloar ionization units, portable purifiers and carbon filters — while several board members pressed for clearer communication and after-action data on absences and safety.
Superintendent Cliff Jones told the Horry County Board of Education that district leaders consulted emergency responders and deployed multiple air-quality measures while keeping schools open during the Carolina Forest wildfires.
Jones said the district adjusted HVAC systems to recirculate indoor air, used a mix of MERV-13 and MERV-8 filters, deployed portable trio air purifiers and installed carbon filters at six most-impacted schools, and noted the district had purchased bipolar ionization units with federal ESSER funds. "This system was purchased by the district with federal ESSER funds, And by February, this district had already commit committed that money, but also had installed these units in 7,000 bipolar ionization units for the cost of $7,000,000 with ESSER funds," Jones said.
Why it matters: board members and families said they worried about student and staff exposure to smoke; several asked whether the decision to keep schools open prioritized learning over safety or reflected inconsistent communication.
Jones described the decision process as consultative with Horry County Fire and Police and said leaders weighed public-safety orders, air-quality data and the need to preserve student routines and access to meals. "There was no such orders in Carolina Forest that we broke when to have school," Jones said. He added district officials allowed employees to convert sick leave to emergency leave and excused wildfire-related absences on a case-by-case basis.
Board members pushed for more transparent data. Member Pam Winters, representing the Carolina Forest area, repeatedly questioned whether reopening decisions were safe and requested fuller absence data and clearer explanations. "I personally put safety over learning because if they're not safe, they're not learning," Winters said. She also asked for all daily absence counts to be shown, not partial summaries.
Other board members praised first responders and the district's emergency teams while urging an after-action review. Board member Richard Barnard said the district made the correct choice in giving families the option to keep children home: "Parents decided whether or not their kids went to school." Several members requested a written after-action report and fuller attendance breakdowns for impacted schools.
What the district did (as stated in the meeting): - Adjusted HVAC systems to circulate indoor air instead of bringing in outside air. - Deployed portable Trio air purifiers (HEPA/carbon/UVC/ProCell) to common areas. - Installed carbon filters at six impacted schools: Carolina Forest Elementary, Carolina Forest High, Palmetto Bays Elementary, River Oaks Elementary, Forest Brook Elementary and Forest Brook Middle (referred to in the meeting as "Forest Brook Bridal" in one instance). - Monitored carbon monoxide levels and building humidity remotely. - Allowed staff to convert sick leave to emergency leave and excused wildfire-related absences case by case.
Board directions and outstanding requests: - Several members asked administration to provide full daily absence counts for affected schools (including the full absence numbers for Carolina Forest High and other listed schools). - Board members requested an after-action report detailing communications, consultation with emergency responders, and decisions made during the event. - A board member raised concern about pine straw (mulch) near portables and asked facilities to remove it as a safety precaution.
No formal policy change or vote on closures was recorded at the workshop; board members debated the superintendent's decision-making and asked staff for additional documentation and a follow-up report.
Ending: Jones acknowledged the response was not perfect and said the district would continue monitoring conditions and adapt as needed. "This was not a perfect response. We learned," he said.
