Brentwood to house school part of year
By Diette Courrégé
North Charleston High, the low-performing school in the midst of a controversial reform initiative, will have another challenge to grapple with this fall.
In addition to new leadership and new teachers, the entire school will be moved to the shuttered Brentwood Middle School campus for the first semester of the school year.
The district began a $27.8 million renovation of the high school campus this winter that will update it to the same standards used for new schools across the county. The district staggered the construction in stages, and a major component of the upgrade couldn't begin until the end of this school year.
The renovation involves gutting the three-story building to install a new air-conditioning system, overhauling its power system to support more technology and performing partial seismic upgrades. Since the work began, officials found non-airborne asbestos in an adhesive under the building's tiles that needed to be removed. The necessary cleanup of the asbestos would tack on time to the projected fall completion date. Severe thunderstorms during the past few weeks also have stalled construction efforts.
The best-case scenario for this fall was that the school could use the top floors of the main building, a small part of the first floor and a number of mobile classrooms. But students would've been returning to an active construction site, said Bill Lewis, executive director of the district's building program.
He suggested evaluating Brentwood Middle, which closed at the end of this past school year, as a potential temporary relocation site, and district leaders found that to be a better option. Students would be safer and in a less disruptive environment, and the district will save up to $500,000 from the project's contingency fund because it won't have to accelerate construction work to ensure the best-case scenario occurs, Lewis said.
"It worked out 10 times better, all the way around," Lewis said.
North Charleston High School families will receive a phone call and mailed letter from the district. Officials plan to hold an informational meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 8 in the Felix Davis Community Center for those who have more questions.
Students will move back mid-year rather than wait until fall of 2010 because their new campus will be ready and superb, Lewis said. Construction work will be finished, and the school will have a new performing arts studio, a ninth-grade academy, a new main entrance, an air-conditioned gym and classrooms where students can take culinary arts classes.
District staff approached Charleston County School Board members and the mayor's office about their proposal, and everyone agreed with the district's recommendation to move students to the Brentwood campus.
The School Board decided to reconstitute the high school as a result of its academic failure, which means all staff members had to reapply for their jobs and new programs aimed at reform will be implemented.
Reach Diette Courrégé at dcourrege@postandcourier.com or 937-5546.
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y2catt (anonymous) says...
I see problems with that. Garrett is right across from Brentwood.
June 30, 2009 at 4:01 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
moonpie (anonymous) says...
Yeah that's what they need to fix the failing school a newer building.
This school isn't that old is it? Looks good from the road. You have to take care of it and have the students not treat it like a PRISON! I've been in there several times, trust me they ain't failing because of the building!
June 30, 2009 at 6:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
singleroni (anonymous) says...
how old is the building? i thought this was a fairly new school- how was it allowed to get in that shape?
June 30, 2009 at 7:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jeg111 (anonymous) says...
North Charleston High School has been in existence for many years. The structure has been renovated several times. Since its beginning, it has always been a poor school academically. The graduation rate is one of the lowest in the state. Can't believe they are putting more money into a notoriously failing institution.
June 30, 2009 at 8:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
I live in the brentwood subdivision. I can only imagine the traffic. Nightmare.
June 30, 2009 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bornin43 (anonymous) says...
No matter how fancy the schools, when the students don't want to be in school in the first place, they are not going to get the education we want them to have.
Don't get me wrong, there are students that do want an education, but the majority of those will transfer to higher ranking schools such as The School of the Arts, or Academic Magnet.
The rest will only stay in school if you can offer them subjects they are intrested in, such as auto mechanics, computer programing, electronics, etc.
By the time students get to high school, they think they already have all the book learning they need, and can not see how their courses will help them in real life. By emplementing life courses, instead of computer courses, it may be possible to spark their interest.
June 30, 2009 at 9:39 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
nopartisan_noproblem (anonymous) says...
I agree with your first comment bornin43.But, school is not designed to teach life courses. That is the parents responsibility. I don't want my tax dollars going to teaching life lessons. School is setup for educational purposes. Computer courses are essential in todays working world.
Also what is wrong with teaching auto mechanics, computer programming, electronics. These are trades that many people will be able to move right into after school, especially if they don't want to or are not funded to go to college. These trades are definitely more vital and necessary than visual arts or interpretive dance.
I believe it all comes down to the parents. I was punished when I didn't do well in school. I had to have a better school life to have a better home life. Most of these children have no fear nor incentive to do better, because there is no consequences.
June 30, 2009 at 9:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
singleroni (anonymous) says...
i went to North Charleston graduated in 1966. later they tore the building down and rebuilt it. the building is not that old. what is life expectancy on the building or it is the people that go to it tore it up?
June 30, 2009 at 10:08 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ParkCircle4Ever (anonymous) says...
The 'new' school opened in 1985. It is older than many schools being rebuilt as we speak. 'Throwing money' at a bad situation might not make it better, but don't these kids deserve the same technology and opportunities that the rest of our newer/megaschools have? They at least deserve to learn in a school without asbestos.
June 30, 2009 at 12:41 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
singleroni (anonymous) says...
WHAT asbestos. you talking about the one under the sidewalk and buries with the rubber compounds near the old ball field in the bone yard, the one around gator park, under the overpass on 526. or in the ground around no chas. when they blew the screens off with firehoses and air compressors.
June 30, 2009 at 12:59 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ParkCircle4Ever (anonymous) says...
I was simply referring to the asbestos mentioned in the article. I assume it was fine as long as it went undisturbed but since the floors are being replaced they now have to clean it up. My point was merely to point out how old the school is, 25 years, and that the remodeling and additions are not frivolous in my humble opinion. Nobody wants to give these kids a chance, if cooking classes and performance space will help, I'm all for it, but that's just me.
June 30, 2009 at 3:52 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
GeecheeBoi84 (anonymous) says...
bornin43, teaching those trades is what makes Garrett such a good school. I went to Clemson with a couple of ppl from there and they knew much more about computers than we were being taught in the university. Charleston needs more "college atmosphere" schools like Garrett, where they allow students to focus on what they're really interested in but still emphasize the need for your general education as a foundation.
June 30, 2009 at 4:13 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
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