Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
School district consolidation is a “scary” topic for many. It evokes many emotions and fears.
Perhaps the greatest fear is that of “change”. Change is scary due to the uncertainties of what’s to come. It can be uncomfortable as you leave the security of what you know and love.
The talk of school district consolidation has been brought up in Barnwell County time after time over the past 20-plus years. Following some varying opinions – and a few heated discussions – the topic would eventually fall to the wayside.
In August 2014, a committee was formed by Senator Brad Hutto to discuss the possibility of consolidating Barnwell County’s three schools. The nine members talked. They crunched numbers. They asked questions.
In 2015, a public forum was held where the question was asked of those attending if they wanted consolidation.
The resounding answer was “No”.
At that time, the committee found no direct correlation between consolidation and money because some consolidated districts spend more per student than others. They said consolidating Barnwell County’s district could save $1.2 million by eliminating duplicate positions, but would cost $800,000 to equalize teacher pay. This led to Barnwell County’s (at the time) three public school districts working together to find common ground and save money when services and opportunities can be shared.
The topic went away for a while, but consolidation seemed inevitable as our neighbors in Bamberg and Hampton counties each went through the process.
Consolidation talk was resurrected again in 2019 as the S.C. State Department of Education was incentivizing districts with less than 1,500 students to consolidate with another district. The boards for Barnwell District 19 (Blackville-Hilda Public Schools) and Williston District 29 started working together to explore consolidation. COVID-19 delayed this process, but the county’s smallest two districts officially combined on July 1, 2022, becoming the Barnwell County Consolidated School District (BCCSD).
Now, two years later, full county-wide consolidation is no longer a question. It’s here as the state mandates complete consolidation of the BCCSD, Barnwell County Career Center, and Barnwell School District 45 into the new Barnwell County School District.
Though some in our community were in denial about the looming reality, consolidation is here whether we like it or not. So, let’s make the best of it.
We’ve noticed some alumni and employees of the current districts state that consolidation means they are losing a family. However, we don’t see it that way. Consolidation really means that the school family is growing as faculty, staff, alumni, students, and other stakeholders from across Barnwell County now become one.
While the name is changing, the legacies of the BCCC, BCCSD, and BSD45 will carry on regardless of what the district is called. The new Barnwell County School District will still include many of the same dedicated educators who have worked in the other districts. They will continue their mission of educating our community’s students some they can be college and career ready once they leave high school.
At the BSD45 end-of-the-year employee breakfast, past teacher of the year Deanna Grubbs quoted American psychologist Abraham Maslow who said, “In any given moment, we have two options, to step forward in growth, or step back into safety.”
Consolidation will bring changes, which, as we stated earlier, can be scary. However, we can’t grow without a little change.
Just as the consolidation of the former Blackville-Hilda and Williston-Elko districts brought some positive opportunities for students, we believe the same will be true once all Barnwell County students are united together. It’s more than being under one name. It’s about being one family. Afterall, we are all Barnwell County.
The scariest part about consolidation is the topic of a new county-wide high school and career center. That’s been evident on social media and was on full display last week at a BCSD meeting where options for a new school were presented.
We know there are pros and cons to each option, but we believe a new state-of-the-art CATE-focused high school will be a huge benefit to all students throughout Barnwell County. Ultimately, it’s not about what’s best for the adults, but it should be about what’s best for our young people – who are our future.
We need to invest our time and resources into what will help prepare them to be well prepared for the future.
While it’s not about the wishes of adults, we do encourage every parent, family member, school employee and other adult who cares about the students to be active and involved. This includes attending school board meetings, keeping on top of your child’s grades, having open communication with your child’s teacher, and using your voice to stand up for our children – all children, regardless of their zip code.
