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Charleston school board advances goals review after Riley Center says nearly 5,000 responded to survey
Summary
Superintendent Huggin and Riley Center partner Shelby Sheimard told the board the district has collected more than 4,900 survey responses and is holding six community sessions as it develops new literacy, math and college-and-career goals; trustees pressed staff on outreach to underrepresented areas and the role of interim benchmarks.
Superintendent Huggin reported at the June 22 board meeting that the district is working with the Riley Center at the College of Charleston to craft a new set of district goals focused on literacy, mathematics and college-and-career readiness.
"We have the community survey that's currently in the field ... and we already have over 4,900 responses," Dr. Shelby Sheimard of the Riley Center told the board, describing both English and Spanish versions of the questionnaire and a series of six countywide community meetings. She said responses show participation across regions but also gaps the district intends to target before the survey closes.
Why it matters: the district will use this input to set five-year targets and interim benchmarks that staff and the board can track. Huggin said the 2022 goals produced measurable gains but in some cases set very ambitious percentage targets; the new process will prioritize measurable, attainable objectives.
Trustees pressed staff on representativeness and next steps. Trustee Craig Logan asked how many Spanish-language responses had been received; Sheimard and staff said roughly 150 Spanish responses to date and that targeted outreach (including reminders aimed at North Charleston) will continue through July 1. Staff also said translation and in-person assistance will be provided at community meetings.
Staff gave a progress update on summer reading camps designed to close early literacy gaps. Jamie Cosner summarized the program and enrollment: "as of now, we have about 400 first, second, and third graders that are attending camp," he said, describing nine sites and daily, data-driven small-group instruction using a structured phonics program.
Board members urged targeted outreach to underrepresented areas, including rural Sea Islands and parts of North Charleston, and asked staff to consider meeting times and hybrid access to maximize participation. Huggin and Riley Center leaders said input from school-board interviews, nearly 5,000 survey responses and on-site sessions will inform recommended goal language that the board will review before final adoption.
The board did not adopt new goals at this meeting; staff said they will return with recommendations after the survey closes and community sessions conclude.
