Baptist Hill community urges physical separation of middle and high school; board and staff promise review

Dozens of community members from the Baptist Hill area pressed the Charleston County School District Board of Trustees on April 28 to physically separate Baptist Hill Middle School from Baptist Hill High School.

Francina Nelson, a Baptist Hill graduate, told trustees the administrative decision to separate the schools on paper was welcome but insufficient. “How does the separation matter if the middle school are still sharing the same cafeteria, the gym, and the library,” Nelson said, asking the board to move middle school students to another site such as Schroeder or CC Blaney.

Other speakers from the community echoed that request. Elijah Dent said the separation had been “in the name only” and urged immediate relocation even if temporary housing (trailers) were required. Martha Davis, president of the Baptist Hill High School Alumni Association, thanked the district for new middle‑school leadership but also called for a separate, age‑appropriate campus to protect student safety and support enrollment and academic recovery.

Superintendent Huggins responded to public comment by saying the district was committed to working with the new principal, district leaders and community stakeholders to keep students separated during the day in the coming year. Planning staff told trustees that refurbishing Schroeder would cost an estimated $20 million and that CC Blaney was in better condition but would still require building system work before it could hold a middle school program.

District staff said they had reviewed separation options and would continue to evaluate Blaney and Schroeder as possible short‑term locations while monitoring the situation on campus.

No formal board action was taken on relocation at the April 28 meeting; the board directed staff to continue exploring options and to report back.