Residents urge board to adopt Peninsula Promise attendance lines that keep neighborhoods intact
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Summary
Dozens of speakers called on the Charleston County School District to approve the Peninsula Promise and to adopt rezoning Option 4 or 5 to preserve walkability and keep North Central and Westside neighborhoods united with James Simmons; the board said it will review options and vote at a special meeting in March.
Dozens of parents, neighborhood leaders and educators used the public-comment period at the Nov. 23 Charleston County School District Board of Trustees meeting to press the board to move forward with the Peninsula Promise and to adopt attendance-line Option 4 or 5 that supporters say preserves walkability and neighborhood cohesion.
Speakers including Steven Rosenberg, president of the North Central Neighborhood Association, and Cara Shank, a North Central resident and parent, asked trustees to keep North Central students together and to preserve James Simmons as a walkable neighborhood school. Several teachers and Burke High staff—among them Jamila Gadsden and Mev McIntosh—urged support for the plan’s vision for stronger middle- and high-school pathways centered on Burke High School.
Public speakers said Option 5, in particular, maintains pedestrian access for most Westside families and helps preserve socioeconomic and racial diversity downtown. Westside Neighborhood Association president Sarah Spangler told trustees that, under Option 5, no Westside student would be more than half a mile from James Simmons and that the option aligns with stated goals such as capacity stewardship and long-term equity.
Speakers also raised procedural objections to how the CCSD Education Foundation nominations were handled; several urged the board to reconsider votes on a District 8 nominee and to afford nominees fair consideration.
Why it matters: The Peninsula Promise bundles universal pre-K, a Family Learning and Resource Center at Burke, expanded career and arts pathways, and attendance-line changes intended to boost enrollment and neighborhood schools. The board will study the options and, staff said, expects a special-called vote in March so schools and families can plan for next year.
What’s next: Staff said they will continue outreach to Mitchell families, open an extended choice window for affected families in March, and update projections once the board selects an option.