They most recent stop was at Wando so that East Cooper parents could weigh in.

The meetings are designed  to solicit feedback on criteria that could be used to rank schools for consolidation, closure or restructuring.

About 100 parents and school administrators attended the information gathering session.

Charleston County schools Superintendent Nancy McGinley explained the reason for the hearings, which came as a directive from the CCSD Board.

They asked the superintendent to find ways to save money, specifically by closing or consolidating schools. A system has been put into place that will essentially rank schools on a point system.

And while some parents in the audience were worried about their schools, she

ensured them that no schools have been identified or targeted.

“We don’t have all the money in the world and there are needs we would like to address so we can do an even better job for our students,” said McGinley. “This is a sign of the times. The economic realities make it difficult to continue business as usual.”

A specific list of school recommendations is due to the board Oct. 13 and once presented, will be taken back to the public for Phase II of the feedback process.

The board must make a final decision on the plan by January.

At that point, Su Robertson with National Consultant will help conduct forums for communities as options for redesign are considered.

She’s been instrumental in conducting for the meetings concerning the future of high school facilities in Mount Pleasant.

The goal of this process is to focus all CCSd resources on achieving instructional excellence; establish optimal school designs, locations and capacities; and replicate successful models, McGinley explained.

For example, she told the crowd, a middle school with only 92 students will be much more expensive to operate and justify giving a full compliment of teachers and programming needed to make it a well rounded school.

Criteria have been set up to rate each school:

•Schools as the Center of Community

•Educational Value

•Demographics

•Facility Conditions

•Operational efficiency

•Suitability of Alternatives

The goal, she said, is to look at multiple factors not single variables. Under each of these categories is a date point that holds an assigned value of 1 through 4, with four being the worst.

The proposed matrix, on a 64 point scale will place schools with 40 points in the category of very high consideration for restructuring; 30 points would be high consideration for restructuring; and 20 pints would be moderate consideration for restructuring.

“We are charged with looking at what’s best for the children and doing what is fiscally responsible,” she said.

Data points

The following are 16 criteria that Charleston County school officials potentially will use to rank schools to determine which ones should be closed. The criteria fall into six general categories: schools as center of community, educational value, demographics, facility conditions, operational efficiency and sustainability of alternatives. Each school will receive a 1-4 ranking on each of the 16 criteria, for a possible score of 64.

1. Enrollment decline: Tracks enrollment trends for past 10 years

2. Minimal school size: Indicates whether schools meet the minimum school size requirements

3. Building use: Reflects the other uses of the building outside of typical school hours

4. Transfers out: Measures the number of students who have transferred out of the school

5. Adequate yearly progress: Indicates whether the school met a measure by which the district is held accountable

6. Absolute rating: Uses the school's rating on the state report card to convey the school's level of performance

7. Improvement rating: Uses the school's improvement rating on the state report card to measure success from the previous year

8. Population and enrollment trends: Measures the past and current attendance zone population vs. the current and past school enrollment

9. Enrollment vs. building capacity: Measures the school's enrollment vs. its building capacity

10. Building condition: Rates the building condition

11. Campus size: Measures the size of the school campus in relation to optimal campus size

12. Program standards: Compares course offerings and activities with school action designs

13. Fidelity of mission: Only for magnet schools. Demonstrates whether the school remained true to its original mission as approved by the county board

14. Per pupil expenditure: Cost to educate each student per year

15. Time and miles to nearest school: Time and distance it takes to get to the next closest school

16. Available space in nearest school: Amount of space in next closest school

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