Parents, teachers and students urge Berkeley County Schools to restore SC DISCUS and save creative‑writing program
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Summary
At a Feb. 17 Berkeley County School District meeting, parents and students asked the board to restore elementary access to SC DISCUS and urged reinstating the Berkeley Center for the Arts creative‑writing major, while teachers warned of staffing and special‑education shortfalls.
Parents, teachers and students used the board’s public‑comment period on Feb. 17 to press Berkeley County School District leaders to restore access to SC DISCUS for elementary students and to reverse cuts to a creative‑writing major at the Berkeley Center for the Arts (BCA).
“I respectfully ask that the district take immediate action to restore access to SC DISCUS for elementary students,” Sarah Khalil, parent liaison for the Berkeley County Education Association, told the board, arguing elementary students have lacked “a comparable replacement” for more than a year and citing blocked results on classroom searches as an example of lost access. Khalil thanked Jennifer Crowley and Shameka Washington for meeting with her to clarify the approval process.
Multiple BCA students and supporters described the creative‑writing major’s educational and social benefits. Lanesha Smalls, a freshman at Goose Creek High School and a BCA creative‑writing major, said the program “has changed my life” and urged the board to reconsider the decision to cut the major. Other students and teachers cited awards, publication experience and community events as evidence of the program’s value.
Teacher and parent speakers also raised broader staffing and support concerns. “There will be a mass exodus district wide if things don’t change,” Lindsey Drago said, summarizing teachers’ complaints about insufficient dyslexia supports, tight pacing guides that limit reteaching, constrained special‑education placements, scheduling pressures and a perceived lack of meaningful responses when staff raise concerns.
Board members did not take action on the public comments during the meeting; the chair reminded the public that comments are not acted on immediately, and district leaders said they had discussed parts of these topics with commenters. The superintendent, Dr. Dixon, thanked BCA students for speaking and said their voices had been heard.
The district did not announce immediate policy changes at the meeting. Commenters asked for specific remedies — including an elementary opt‑in for SC DISCUS, greater recruiting support for the BCA program and clearer plans for dyslexia interventions — which would require follow‑up by district staff.