SOCASTEE, S.C. (WBTW)-Three brand new schools and two replacement schools will be built in Horry County over the next two years. That will change some attendance lines. Tuesday night parents heard the initial proposal for what would impact the Socastee area.
Philip Powell came out Tuesday night to learn how the new attendance lines would affect his son.
“As a parent you get a little anxious thinking oh it’s the end of middle school and that’s a difficult time as children grow up and here’s a big change. Is this going to be a good thing or a bad thing?”
Powell’s son goes to Forestbrook Middle School now, but for the 2017-2018 school year he’d have to go to the new Socastee area middle school. Kathy Johnson the assistant manager of planning for Horry County schools says Forestbrook Middle is too overcrowded.
“At the beginning of the 2015-2016 school year Forestbrook Middle had 1,231 but the capacity of that school is 1,010 so right now they’re at 122 percent so that is why we’re building the new school.”
Powell said he’s had a pleasant experience at Forestbrook Middle but welcomes the change for more room.
“Our teachers are very talented, they are full of very dedicated staff and teachers and they can do an even better job if they didn’t have to deal with classroom management issues.”
Parents were able to give feedback at the meeting as these plans right now are just proposals and modifications can still be made.
“Any comments we get tonight we are going to take back and take those comments up to the administration and see if we keep this proposal or we need to modify it any.”
Phillips said he’s fine with the plans and looks forward to the future of Horry County schools.
“Any downside that he may experience in changing schools, I think that would be offset by this new shiny facility. That’s a good thing!”
If you were unable to attend the meeting, you can look at plans and leave feedback at horrycountyschools.net.