School board adopts Option F rezoning plan with grandfathering clause after heated debate
Summary
The Berkeley County Board of Education adopted the administration’s Option F attendance boundaries, with clarifications and an authorization for a grandfathering and sibling clause; the motion passed 8–1 after members debated the clause’s potential to negate capacity changes and affect class sizes.
The Berkeley County Board of Education voted Dec. 15 to adopt Option F for student attendance boundaries, moving forward with a multi-school rezoning plan and an administratively directed grandfathering and sibling provision.
Chair Wofford moved to accept the administration’s recommendation and include clarifications that Carolyn Lewis attendance boundaries follow the initial proposal, that option H govern middle- and high-school assignments using a specified divider, and that the administration establish a grandfathering provision permitting students enrolled as of Dec. 15 to remain in their current zones if they provide their own transportation or have siblings already enrolled. The motion was seconded by Miss Davenport and passed 8–1.
Board member Baker urged caution about broad grandfathering, saying it could negate capacity relief the rezoning was designed to provide and worsen class-size and traffic issues at high-enrollment schools such as Cane Bay. "When you shift the kids... now we're looking at adjacent schools on how we can create capacity," Baker said, emphasizing he could not find administrators or principals who supported blanket grandfathering.
Supporters said the clause was intended to reduce abrupt disruption for families. Administration indicated that grandfathering would require families to furnish transportation and that a sibling clause would apply where specified.
The board’s adoption of Option F followed a public-comment period in which multiple neighborhood representatives asked the board to preserve existing assignments or honor a previously discussed grandfathering approach. The motion passed with one recorded dissent (vote recorded in the transcript as 8–1). The board did not finalize operational details of the grandfathering beyond the transportation and sibling-condition language; administration was authorized to implement the clarifications and return as needed with follow-up details.
