No crowds: 'It's Utopia'New Ashley Ridge High School opens without a hitch Thursday By Dave Munday (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Friday, August 22, 2008
Brad Nettles Students arrive by bus at 6:20 a.m. Wednesday for the first day of school at Ashley Ridge High School. The new Dorchester District 2 high school opened to ninth- and 10th-graders. Schools Superintendent Joe Pye said the school will be crowded in another two years. SUMMERVILLE — Amber Johnson, a ninth-grader at new Ashley Ridge High School, was standing outside the front doors at 6 a.m. on Thursday, the first day of school in Dorchester County. Classes didn't start until 7:25, an hour and a half later. "I didn't want to be late," said Johnson, who lives in the nearby Legend Oaks neighborhood. She wasn't alone by any means. Other students were walking through the doors, checking out murals of the school's mascot, the swamp fox, in the hallways, looking for their lockers and classrooms, moving into the cafeteria to talk or grab a cheap breakfast. Teachers and parents were stationed throughout the hallways to greet them and offer directions. Enthusiasm was in the air. The new school relieves some of the overcrowding at Summerville and Fort Dorchester high schools. District 2 has been one of the fastest-growing in the state, and officials have been struggling to keep up. "It's really nice, especially after you've come from Summerville High School of 3,400 (students), and all of a sudden you're down to 850. It's Utopia," said Principal Karen Radcliffe, who had been at the school for two hours by the time Johnson got there. "We're full tilt. Everything's ready. Absolutely, everything's ready. Everything's working — now don't jinx me! Everything is working at this moment." A slight buzz in the intercom was the only apparent hitch. Radcliffe apologized to students as she addressed them over the system before classes started and promised to get it fixed. By 6:30 a.m., the hallways were full, as busloads of students streamed through the back doors. Buses arrive early because drivers have to go back out and pick up middle- and elementary-school students. Students could walk around and check things out their first day at the new school, under supervision, of course. Next week, they will be ushered into programs, such as tutoring or library or science labs, Radcliffe said. Parent Jodi Brelsford, who lives in Ashborough off Dorchester Road and was at Ashley Ridge helping register new students, said students arrive at Summerville High School just as early. Brelsford has a daughter at Ashley Ridge, but two other children attended Summerville High. Superintendent Joe Pye stopped by about 7 a.m. to check it out and give his assessment. "To be able to come here and see the halls not so packed as they are at Summerville and Fort Dorchester says that we did the right thing, that we certainly needed another high school badly," said Pye, who is pushing a referendum to build more schools. "Enjoy these numbers now, because in just a matter of two years from now, this place will be packed like the rest of them, because they keep coming," he said. Ashley Ridge starts off with ninth- and 10-graders and will add a class each year. A building expansion for the school is already on the drawing boards. Officials planned for 600 new students throughout the district this year, down from 950 new students last year. But Pye said he would not be disappointed if they end up with fewer. "I'm hopeful it's going to be less," he said. "We would love to be able to have classes not packed to the gills." The district won't tabulate this year's enrollment figures for another week or so, because the numbers typically keep swelling until after Labor Day, Pye said. The district added more mobile classrooms this year at several elementary schools. That includes the new William Reeves Elementary School, which opened last year. At least one parent at Knightsville Elementary was concerned that the school's newest mobile units didn't have fire alarm systems installed Thursday. The school district took precautions before placing about 150 students in those classes, such as giving each of their six teachers walkie-talkies for classrooms and requiring hourly checks of the units to ensure safety, District Public Information Officer Pat Raynor said. Officials also checked with the state fire marshal, who felt comfortable with the precautions. The alarm system should be up and running by Friday morning, she said. Staff writer Diette Courrege contributed to this story. Reach Dave Munday at 745-5862 or dmunday@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 5 comment(s)
Posted by Slick50 on August 22, 2008 at 4:54 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Maybe the school will fill up once they build that 7 million dollar culinary arts classroom.
Posted by wjhamilton3 on August 22, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. (Suggest removal)
"By 6:30 a.m., the hallways were full"
This must mean those kids families are having to get out of bed by about 5 am each weekday, or even earlier. The parents would be dropping their kids off by 6 am and then have two hours before most of them are due at work, perhaps as many as three.
When the parents get home from work at about 6 pm, they'll have already been up for at least 13 hours, as will have been their kids. That certainly puts a lot of pressure on family time, week nigh civic and cultural events and anything else they could do together.
If they're going to get eight hours of sleep, the family would need to be in bed by 9 pm.
It's interesting how large schools, tight school transportation budgets, our devotion to the automobile and suburban sprawl have devoured all the available family time.
Of course Conservatives will damn such a family for having both parents at work, but with local wages at the level they are at, families living in this community will need two incomes to pay the mortgage. Conservatives will say they should just live in a cheaper neighborhood, but then of course, they wouldn't have access to decent schools.
This is the world we have made, but it seems crazy to me. We get out of bed at 6 am and our son is at Wando High School at 8:30 am. That isn't perfect either, but this seems truly insane.
Smaller yards, denser neighborhoods with schools within walkable distance would be better. What's the use of a yard nobody has time to use in neighborhoods where people are gone so much and so long that nobody really gets the chance to enjoy them?
Posted by coolfreaknbeans on August 22, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How nice the implication is Summerville High is an overloaded old piece of crap.Of course thats where my daughter will have to go.Ugh
Posted by dizzy on August 22, 2008 at 9:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
wjhamilton - WELL Written, I applaud you. The district needs to listen to your comments. I would call them, but I am too tired to after getting my child ready for school, putting him on the bus AT FIVE FOURTY FIVE AM, getting self ready, working all day, come home to eat, relax a bit and walk the dog. I think you should write an editorial mirroring these thoughts. Perhaps I will dream about that!
Posted by rollnwflo on August 23, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
wjhamilton, its pretty early on a Saturday morning to be blaming conservatives for everything, but that's okay as long as you have someone to blame. I live in this district and have three children in two different schools at this time. We seem to be able to cope fine and have plenty of family time. My take is we are adjusted to world we live in, and we chose to be happy, accept blame were we've done wrong, and cast not the first stone. My family wakes up everyday expecting good things to happen, and proves that a positive attitude will make your life better. Everyone here is excited about our new high school, and looks forward to the day they can attend. It has been an uphill struggle in this school district to provide adequate educational opportunities for our children. So having said all of that, try this, tomorrow morning, get up early, grab a cup of whatever you drink in the morning, see the sun come up and remember, its going to be a great day.