District 2 watches numbers go upGrowing pains worsen as population swells By Dave Munday (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
SUMMERVILLE — Hundreds more students than last year showed up the first few days of school in Dorchester District 2, where officials were hoping growth will slow down. The district has been getting about 900 new students a year in the last several years, prompting talk of a referendum on building more schools to relieve overcrowding. Officials thought the housing market downturn would slow the influx to 600 new students this year. But on opening day Thursday, enrollment was up 826 students compared with the first day of school last year, the district reported. On Monday, enrollment swelled to 887 students over the third day last year. Enrollment has typically continued to increase throughout the year, as more families move into the district. Superintendent Joe Pye was studying the numbers Monday, still hoping for a break. Previous storyMore money, more schools, published July 25, 2008 "I think it's going to come in close to what we planned," he said. "I definitely will tell you, I will be surprised if it's 900 (new students). I just don't see it. I see too many houses for sale. I see too many empty houses. The number of permits for new houses are way down from last year. I think the number (of new students) is going to taper off faster than last year." A trend should be evident by Labor Day, he said. The district opened three new schools last year and a new high school this year. More mobile classrooms were added outside several elementary schools. Oakbrook Elementary got four more trailers this year, bringing the total to 26. The school is near the Wal-Mart on Dorchester Road. "I'm running out of land to put them on," Principal Monica O'Dea said. Her enrollment — 1,101 Monday morning — already is 51 students more than the end of last year. On the other hand, O'Dea insists the students are not getting shortchanged. "The programs aren't compromised," she said. "They're still provided the same opportunities as everybody else. It just takes more work." For example, a group of parents was waiting outside the school Monday afternoon an hour before dismissal to beat the crowds picking up their kids. Camilla Reaves said she's worried the growth has not slowed down much. "They're trying to build all these new houses, and we have all these trailers and all these kids trying to squeeze in," Reaves said. "And they (the developers) want to give us a few measly acres for a new school, and if they put all the overflow from these schools there, it would already be full. Then where are those (new) kids going to go to school? Every time we look around, they're still building." The school board is studying a list of new schools and renovations for a possible March referendum. A $160 million plan could raise property taxes on a $200,000 house by about $185 a year, according to an estimate at the last board meeting. Reach Dave Munday at 745-5862 or dmunday@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 18 comment(s)
Posted by CaptPete on August 26, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why don't they get teams together and send someone to each childs home to see if they actually live at that location. I bet you will find many are jumping district lines and belong in Berkeley county,Charleston county and Dorchester Dist 4.
Posted by guidedbystewart on August 26, 2008 at 12:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CaptPete,
Trust me, the DSD2 are doing everything thay can to verify that the kid lives in the school district.
Posted by gococks1985 on August 26, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I had to go thorugh an act of God to show them I live where I live...
Posted by forget on August 26, 2008 at 12:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
When I went to enroll my daughter a few weeks ago in DSD2, I had to bring proof of residency (something from recent purchase of home) and 2 other verifications with one having to be the electric bill. I mean, that it self was plenty of proof.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on August 26, 2008 at 1:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Me too.I had to present everything short of a blood sample. BTW-the free lunch program application still has a box you can check if you have no SS#.So in other words it's the illegals check box for free food.
Posted by forget on August 26, 2008 at 2:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I'm going to check that box. Just to see what happens.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on August 26, 2008 at 2:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
forget-I have been tempted year after year.If you really do it,keep me posted as to what happens-I'm serious.I'm betting if a hispanic name isn't on it they'll give you crap about it.
Posted by forget on August 26, 2008 at 3:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ah, but I do have a hispanic name (from a marriage in the family a while back). I think I just might... You know, I'm going to do it. Tonight I'm going to fill out that form and check THAT box.
Posted by forget on August 26, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
My income is too high to receive the free or reduced lunches, but with the other box checked... just for experimental purposes. My daughter likes to pack her lunch. No line to wait in, she can just get to the point!
Posted by Slick50 on August 26, 2008 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think you have overlooked the real point of this story. More schools means higher taxes, a direct result of poor prior planning.
Posted by iceman1978 on August 26, 2008 at 4:09 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dorchester 2 does verification of residence. I know a few people who work in this district and it's a fact. The Dorchester 2 district is actually one of the fastest growing in population for the US. In another five years we'll probably see Dorchester Rd made into six lanes.
Posted by ptmama73 on August 26, 2008 at 4:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Here's a counter suggestion to raising our taxes: Impose a SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT FEE on developers! Why punish all of us tax payers (aka voters) for the financial benefit of developers that do not even live in this area?
Posted by guidedbystewart on August 26, 2008 at 4:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So here is the FYI
Things have changed since they changed the tax law, but here is the skinny. The State provides a percentage of school funding across the board. I do not remember the percentage but it is supposed to account for like 8 % growth which is fine for school districts that do not grow over 8% or even better for school district that lose population. But for school district that grow faster, say at 13%(like DSD2 has), the county has to make up the difference. DSD2 is one of the better districts in the State, and it is also probably the fastest growing. This adds for a huge dilemma for the school administrators. I know for a fact that the school district check addresses, I have worked as a GIS consultant with DSD2 to keep the student address in a county address base, and with this data, students addresses are mapped placing them with a certain schools depending on what grade level they are going into. GROWTH TAKES MONEY, point blank. The planning gets more complicated, you have to hire more teachers, more administrators, and more HR personnel to hire the new people. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY! I agree, planning is necessary, but on the county level, it is difficult when the municipalities can allow for more growth and the county has the burden of paying for the municipalities poor planning. I agree with impact fees, but I doubt that will happen when so many of the politician are developers themselves. This just goes to show how messed up the state laws are in SC.
Posted by forget on August 26, 2008 at 4:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ey - you misunderstood what I was going to do. I was going to check the box just to see if there would be any questions asked. Just for experimental purposes. I don't want the benefit for my daughter. She likes to bring her lunch.
I really do have an Hispanic last name. I don't see how it would be an insult to you. It should be an insult to whomever approves (or rejects) the applications based only on a nationality.
Then it should be insulting to all of us that have to show birth certificates, SS cards, and shot records amongst other things to get our children in schools. Then here are those that have none of those things and are allowed to enroll. I don't care what nationality they are. These are the individuals that will check that box and receive the meals that we all pay for with our tax money.
That is what the real subject is about.
Posted by forget on August 26, 2008 at 5:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I will try to explain it one more time. It might be hard for you to understand it up on your soapbox.
I was saying that I wanted to see if someone else would assume THAT if I checked the "no SSN" box. Or if they would contact me needing the SSN. Again, I don't want the free lunches. To clarify, I was seeing if someone else would look past the information and base a decision on a last name.
I don't use my last name to "bolster any stereotypes" as you put it. I didn't even give my last name any thought until beans mentioned it.
I've never heard any kids bragging about free lunch. They usually don't care. It's the parents that usually brag about beating the system.
Posted by STREETLAW on August 26, 2008 at 8:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No doubt we need a state density plan. No more development in Charleston, Berkerly, and Dorchester counties until we can get the traffic and school problems straightened out.
Maybe 5 or 10 years we can let people build new homes again.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on August 26, 2008 at 9:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
eyfig-You are way off base.You are 110% correct that mostly white/black students get free/reduced lunch.(btw that doesnt bother me at all)My point is that why should the application include a box to exempt ANYONE of ANY race of accountability.It's BS.My point of a last name is that accepting a hispanic last name is way more politically correct than for example an arabic one.(especially with no SS#)Every US citizen should have a SS#.Babies get them at birth.Why should any one group of people of any race get a free pass?Why should someone be able to just check a box that enables someone to lie about their income?Thats the purpose of providing a SS#-to check your income level.No SS# should equal no benefits.I could care less what race someone is.You could read an article about that damn pig today and make it about how poorly hispanics are treated.Go ahead and post back with repeated *sigh* *shakes head* blah blah blah You know what makes me "sigh" and shake my head? People coming to this country illegally,getting benefits that some hard working citizens cant get,clogging up our fn ER's with tummy aches and colds,committing violent crimes and taking away jobs from our citizens.Now I'll go shake my head and sigh.
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on August 26, 2008 at 10:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ok thats actually pretty funny.lol