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Parents, students urge board to keep Planville Elementary open
Summary
Multiple Planville parents and students asked the Georgetown County School District board to reverse or delay plans to close Planville Elementary, citing rising magnet enrollment, community impact, transportation burdens and a new digital immersion program.
Parents, students and community advocates told the Georgetown County School District board that closing Planville Elementary would harm the neighborhood and disrupt children’s education.
Several speakers argued the school’s recent conversion to a magnet and a new digital immersion program have begun increasing enrollment, and they asked the board to work with the community on outreach and alternatives before proceeding with closure decisions.
At the public-comment portion of the meeting, parent Katana Mtry said Planville’s enrollment rose from 68 in 2023 to 84 currently after conversion to a magnet and laid out outreach strategies — door-to-door canvassing, success-story flyers, an open-enrollment fair and targeted recruitment of committed teachers — asking the board to “accept our plea to work with us to keep Planville open.”
Sabrina Holmes, PTO president and SIC member, described the school as the “core of the tri-community,” warned that removing it would reduce parent participation and strain families whose work schedules limit engagement, and urged the board to consider the broader community consequences before moving forward.
Tamika Singleton, a parent and Planville alumna, said closing the school would destabilize the local economy and displace students who “thrive in this nurturing environment,” and asked the board to pursue alternatives such as targeted outreach and support for the school’s digital immersion program.
A student, Dustin Drayton, addressed the board directly: “I love my teachers and they love me … please please don't close down my school.” The board did not take an immediate action on Planville during the meeting; public advocates asked for more opportunity to collaborate on recruitment and retention strategies before any final decision.
The board heard several related agenda items later in the meeting and thanked the Planville community for attending and presenting concerns; next steps were not specified in the meeting transcript.
