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PCSD names High Point Academy as pilot for South Carolina Pathways Project; Careless Online Academy enrollment paused pending third-party special educationaudit
Summary
PCSD staff said High Point Academy will pilot the South Carolina Pathways Project for students with disabilities, the district will launch a parent advisory council, and Careless Online Academy faces an enrollment pause and a requested third-party special education audit after unmet corrective-action deliverables.
PCSD staff updated trustees Jan. 9 on special-education initiatives and compliance actions. The district said it will pilot the South Carolina Pathways Project (SCPP) — a federal grant-funded program to develop alternative pathways to a high-school diploma for students with disabilities — at High Point Academy.
Emily Baker, support and implementation staff, said curriculum-writing teams convened for the grant and that the initial session was delayed two weeks because of scheduling; she noted the writing teams will include internal school staff and external experts. Baker said the SCPP grant includes a workforce-oriented component for students (paid internships and work-based learning) and that the district will receive further state funding in later grant years.
Baker also announced the launch of a statewide parent advisory council for families of students with disabilities — a group the district plans to convene regionally to advise on district policy and advocacy. Baker said PCSD’s special education population has grown 69% since fall 2020; the district currently serves 2,950 students with IEPs and an additional 966 students with 504 plans.
On corrective actions, Baker told trustees that Careless Online Academy submitted a district corrective action plan (DCAP) and that the district deemed two deliverables met and one not met. As a result, the district has implemented an enrollment pause for Careless Online Academy and has requested a third-party special education audit. Baker said a separate DCAP related to assessment and PowerSchool went live Jan. 8 and that the district will provide a fuller update in February. The district did not set a specific timeline for lifting the enrollment pause; staff said they will issue an assurance to the school when the district determines conditions for reenrollment are met.
Trustees asked whether the enrollment pause had a fixed timeline; staff said it does not and that PCSD is working weekly with the school until assurances on record transfers and special education services are met. The district identified Sea Island Heritage Academy’s corrective-action deadlines as met and said it will report further next month.
