BENNETSVILLE, SC (WBTW) – Marlboro County parents and residents are concerned about student safety after the school board discussed changes to what school students will attend next school year.
The tentative changes include moving K-5 students from Blenhiem Elementary Middle School to Clio Elementary Middle School, moving 6-8 students from Clio Elementary Middle School and the School of Discovery to Blenhiem Elementary Middle School and moving 3-5 students from Bennetsville Intermediate to Marlboro County High School.
The current plan includes the 3-5 elementary students in one section of the school with a separate entrance and bus schedule so elementary students will not ride the bus with high school kids, but people in the area say that’s not enough to keep the small kids safe.
One parent says her three children received an excellent education in Marlboro County Schools.
“All three children are engineers,” said Frances Moody, a Marlboro County resident and parent.
But she hopes the current board reconsiders moving elementary students to the high school. Her fear is safety for the small children.
“High school children are bigger children. The fact that the elementary children are smaller children, it’s just not a good idea,” said Moody. “Why can’t we just build on to the primary school, or even just put trailers there?”
Fellow resident and former teacher Ella Reese Hinson agrees with Moody. Hinson says she is confused and concerned and hopes the board provides more information and an explanation on why they are considering the changes.
“I hate to have younger children on the same campus as high school students. I don’t think it’s a good environment for children to be there with teenagers. I would like more information. I don’t understand why this is happening,” Ella Reese Hinson said.
Chairwoman Lucy Parson assures board members are considering the changes to keep students and staff healthy after several people kept getting sick from the mold in the intermediate school.
“Many different methods have been tried to get rid of the mold. It’s been scrubbed, disinfected with chemicals and all kinds of things. It just wasn’t happening. It was not improving. At that point we needed to do something. We needed to do something. The thing to do is take them out of the environment, then try to fix it with them out of there,” said Lucy Parsons, Marlboro County School District chairwoman.
According to Parsons, the board is looking at other options and this is not a permanent plan.
“I do not believe at the end of the day the third, fourth and fifth graders will actually end up at the high school on the D hall,” said Parsons.
Hinson says she hopes the board makes the best decision for the future of the county.
“We are so dependent on our school system to help bring our residents up to be employable and to be good citizens of their community,” said Hinson.
Chairwoman Parsons hopes to call an emergency meeting next week that will be open to the public.
