BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—Tuesday’s school board meeting got a bit heated as more than a dozen Hanahan homeowners addressed board members during public comment.
“The biggest reason why we are here is to respond directly to an e-mail that the mayor received from a school board member on July 24,” stated Michael Sally, a Hanahan council member who also attended the school board meeting. “To put it simply, this letter is full of inaccurate statements, personal attacks and most alarmingly threatened to make a motion to not build a school in the Tanner Plantation area.”
The tension between the school board and Hanahan leaders started shortly after voters approved the ‘Yes 4 Schools’ referendum in November 2012. Some of the money from the referendum was slated to go toward a new elementary school in the Tanner Plantation/Foster Creek Road area.
However, after the referendum passed, the district later asked Hanahan city leaders to rezone a piece of land known as the Bowen site. Hanahan’s planning commission denied that request.
“The planning commission then gave the district the opportunity to ask for a postponement to go back and address the problems with the application,” stated Joel Hodges, Hanahan’s mayor pro tem. “The application then still had many unresolved issues.”
Both parties have been at odds ever since.
“It goes against the promises that had been made to the public, to our community by the school district,” stated Sally. “It goes against the promises that had been made to the public, to our community by the school district.”
Hanahan city leaders canceled their regular council meeting Tuesday in order to attend the school district’s meeting instead. According to Mayor Minnie Blackwell, she asked to be put on the school district’s agenda; however, her request was denied.
“This is both surprising and frustrating in light of my personal history in supporting our schools and our children along with a track record of outstanding support by our entire city council and our community,” Mayor Blackwell stated during public comment.
Blackwell told board members it was time to build the school that was promised prior to the referendum passing.
“I stand before you as a servant leader,” stated Blackwell. “I ask the Berkeley Co. School Board to honor their promise to our community and execute the referendum per our citizens’ vote.”
Hanahan Police Chief Mike Cochran also attended Tuesday’s school board meeting, addressing the board as merely a concerned parent who has a young daughter.
“We bought a house in Tanner Plantation expecting a school would be forthcoming,” stated Cochran. “Think about the children and think about your legacy. Spending money on attorney fees doesn’t build a great school. We need this school built.”
Things got a little lively when Hanahan homeowner Bill Healy, originally of Brooklyn, New York, took to the stand to address to the school board. He didn’t read from any notes. He spoke purely from the heart and with authority.
“You have promised and you have failed,” Healy told the school board. “Do you think partial truth is an effective communication?”
Healy lives in Tanner Plantation and says he wants his grandchildren to one day attend the new elementary school. While speaking to the board, he issued a challenge.
“Every day that goes by is a wasted day. Become the leaders that you were voted in to be,” Healy stated. “If you are willing to commit to getting together, I would ask the board to stand and would ask the council to come forward. Are you willing to do that? Yesterday is behind us. We’re going to move forward from today.”
With that challenge, Hanahan city council walked over and stood next to Healy as members of the school board stood as well.
Parents are now hope this is the step in the right direction to work toward getting the new school built.
According to school officials, the new school is designed to alleviate overcrowding at Hanahan Elementary and Goose Creek Primary. When built, it will accommodate approximately 900 students.
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