Dozens of parents attended a meeting at Horry Georgetown Technical College to discuss a possible rezoning that would affect Carolina Forest Elementary's students.
Horry County Schools is considering rezoning their district. The redistricting proposal would send a majority of kids who complete Carolina Forest Elementary to Black Water Middle School instead of Ocean Bay Middle School in the 2013-2014 school year. Horry County school administrators say the main reason for the possible rezoning is to prevent overcrowding. They project by 2014, Ocean Bay Middle will be at 110 percent capacity and Black Water Middle at 62 percent capacity.
Parents say they don't want to move though, because they are worried about school performance. In the 2010 South Carolina Annual Report Card Summary, Ocean Bay Middle ranked "excellent" in 2010, "good" in 2009 and "good" in 2008. Black Water Middle scored "average" in 2010, "average" in 2009 and "below average" in 2008.
The school district has an open enrollment policy. Meaning if the rezoning is passed, Horry County parents will still be able to send their kids to whichever school they choose, as long as it is not at capacity. A bus route will not accommodate a student's wish to go to a school outside of their district.
