SOCASTEE, SC (WBTW) – A group of Horry County parents are determined to find a building to use for a special needs school in the district.
Summer Watts knows first hand what it takes to care for a special needs child, which is why she is pushing for the special needs school.
“Unfortunately these kids are not normal, and I hate to say that because it kinda sounds bad, but their needs are not normal. They need special attention, they need special ways of learning and teaching; special care,” Watts said.
Watts and other mothers are in the process of applying to become a non-profit to start the school, but in order to receive funding, they’ll need a building.
“A lot of grants don’t want to hand over money without something to show for it I guess you could say, so the big thing’s getting a facility,” Watts said.
Now that the old Socastee Elementary building sits empty on Socastee Blvd., the moms say it is the perfect place to use as a special needs school.
According to the special needs moms, the building is set to be torn down, and the demolition could cost over $600,000.
“If they’re gonna knock it down, that makes no sense if it’s a place that we can bring the kids to, even if it’s in a year or two years. It’s going to take time,” Christine Holman, a mother of a special needs child in the Horry County School District said.
The moms have told the district’s director of special needs about their ideas, and they plan to bring it up in future school board meetings.
“We can help bridge the gap between home and school for their benefit, so they get the most out of school,” Holman said.
