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Parents and teachers press Berkeley County board on rezoning, IEP compliance and removal of classroom resources
Summary
Residents urged the Berkeley County Board of Education to halt another rezoning that would move neighborhood students for a second time in three years; parents and teachers also raised allegations that a former school leader mocked parents online, that IEPs have not been honored and that vetted classroom resources were removed without notice.
Joshua Singleton, a Summerville parent, urged the Berkeley County Board of Education on Oct. 20 to reconsider a proposed rezoning that would move several neighborhoods away from Nexton Elementary and, he said, would be the second rezoning his neighborhood has endured in three years. "If the current proposal goes through, my son will be in fourth grade and attend his third school, and we have not moved at all in that time frame," Singleton said, asking the board to allow children to remain at CLS, where his sons are now thriving.
Yuliana Alcon told trustees she loves her children—s school but accused a former school leader of publicly mocking parents on social media and described a climate that discourages civic engagement. Alcon also raised a legal concern about Individualized Education Programs, saying, "Failing to honor a child's IEP is not a matter of opinion. It is a violation of federal law." She urged the board to investigate school leadership practices and to provide neutral spaces for teachers to speak candidly.
Sarah Khalil, an educator and parent with 14 years in Berkeley County Schools, said the district has removed books, the SC Discus research resource and the student-facing program CNN10 "without notice, documentation, or teacher input," leaving teachers and students without vetted materials and prompting concerns about transparency and instructional integrity. "If these bans were truly in students' best interest, why wasn't the district transparent?" Khalil asked, calling for alternatives such as opt-outs rather than blanket removals.
A third-grade student, Sofia from Howell Hall Ames, told the board that state tests make her anxious and that students often have "about two days to learn new things before we're tested." Sofia said the tests make her feel "dumb even though I know I'm trying my best" and urged the board to consider the pace and emotional effects of testing on young learners.
The public-comment segment followed the board—s announcement of rules limiting comments to programs, policies or procedures and a three-minute time limit per speaker. Trustees did not take immediate action on the comments at the meeting; the board chair reiterated that public comments inform future discussion. Multiple speakers asked the board to examine school-level leadership, restore access to district resources used in classrooms, and limit disruptive rezoning changes that families say harm continuity for students.
Next steps: the board did not announce immediate follow-up actions during the meeting; trustees accepted the comments into the record.
