CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – Parents and students of two schools in Horry County are upset with proposed changes they say would fundamentally hurt the schools.
Dozens of parents and students from the Scholars Academy and the Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology (AAST) say changes considered by Horry County Schools would take away what makes them among the best in the state.
“I personally know 20-30 kids who are planning on dropping out and going to their base schools if this proposed change is passed,” said Scholars Academy senior Hunter Cooperman.
The district’s curriculum committee recommended the Scholars Academy become a standalone school and AAST drop STEM programs for ninth and tenth grade students. Instead, those STEM classes would be taken at that student’s base high school, which is the one in the attendance zone where they live.
Those opposed say the Scholars Academy, which would start ranking students itself, would cause them to be competitive, instead of working together.
“This will destroy the establishment of community in the school, as it sets all of these hard working students up against each other to fight for scholarships,” said a sophomore at Scholars.
“She has to learn to work together to be a successful researcher,” said Rob Shelton, who has a daughter at the Scholars Academy. “That’s what we’re talking about when we’re talking about the collaborative efforts at Scholars.”
Those opposed to AAST’s changes say they would mean fewer opportunities for freshmen and sophomores.
“AAST’s vision statement has always been “realize the possibilities” and I believe that instead of eliminating a vital part of the school, we can make endless possibilities a reality,” said AAST student body president Rafael Adi.
Some board members say they want to make sure STEM programs are improved for freshmen and sophomores at every high school.
“I would personally like to see the programming across the district better established before making these changes,” said Ray Winters, a board member representing parts of Carolina Forest and Myrtle Beach.
“I asked these board members when I came on this board, what do I need to do to make the whole school system better,” said board chair Ken Richardson. “I was told we need to get STEM in all the schools because it’s doing so good at AAST.”
No action on either school was taken during Monday night’s meeting. Several parents and students invited the board to visit the schools before considering any changes.
HCS also says under this proposal, students would still be allowed to take part in sports, clubs and other activities at their base school.