Chester County Schools push for data-driven planning and county help on teacher housing
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Summary
Chester County Schools told the county council they will present detailed capacity and enrollment data in upcoming workshops and urged county coordination on affordable housing for teachers, citing a 90% capacity threshold in a new state scholarship law and complicated rules for donated school sites.
Kena Funderburk, chair of the Chester County School Board, told the county council at a Feb. 9 workshop that the board has reviewed the county's land-use plan and will present detailed, school-level capacity and enrollment data in upcoming work sessions via the board's BoardDocs platform and livestreams.
Funderburk said the new South Carolina Educational Scholarship Fund requires the district to publish annual, grade-level capacity data and allows the district to stop accepting intra-district transfers once a school reaches a 90% capacity threshold. She said that requirement makes reliable, timely enrollment data essential for county planning.
"Many of our teachers live in Rock Hill, Lancaster, or Columbia," Funderburk said, arguing that affordable local housing affects teacher retention and the ability of staff to stay after school for extra activities. She suggested county staff, realtors and the district prepare joint marketing materials and explore nonprofit-led teacher housing models used in nearby counties.
Interim Superintendent Tammy Snipes described how the district is using its PowerSchool student information system to map students to new housing developments, distinguish genuinely new enrollments, and review each school's physical capacity and students-per-teacher ratios. Snipes said the district is compiling maintenance and capital requests (from roofs and windows to flooring) for an expanded budget review in March and April.
Funderburk said the board approved a capital improvement plan in July and will revisit athletic-facilities funding in April. She also warned that donated land for schools requires surveys, environmental studies and approvals (including OSF review) that make some "free" land offers more complicated than they first appear.
The board asked for deeper conversations with council about recreation support and possible fee-in-lieu assistance for schools after the district finalizes its data and long-term plan.
The workshop concluded with a procedural motion: Vice Chair Erin Mosley moved to adjourn, Councilman Bobby Raines seconded and the council voted 7'00 in favor; Chairman Pete Wilson adjourned the meeting at 5:41 p.m.