I am writing this article to try to fully explain the circumstances surrounding an issue with the Great Falls schools and to set the record straight and dispel the rumors and undercurrent of propaganda that has been planted in our community.
In the fall of 2009, the Chester County School Board seriously considered closing the Great Falls schools because of financial problems. It would have been devastating to the Town of Great Falls and surrounding communities if these schools had been closed. After holding numerous public forums and being allowed to move monies around in the school budget pursuant to a 2009 school flexibility bill which just passed the General Assembly, Chester County decided not to close the Great Falls schools at this time, but the issue may be revisited at a later time.
In my eight years in the House of Representatives, I received more communication on this one issue than all other issues combined. Closing the Great Falls schools could cripple the Town of Great Falls and the surrounding communities, but the local citizens came to the rescue, and the Chester School Board listened.
Subsequent to the Chester County School Board making the decision not to close the Great Falls schools, Dr. Richard Hughes, the Chester County School Board Chairman, contacted me to discuss the financial plight of the Great Falls schools. In our discussion, Dr. Hughes informed me that 130 Fairfield County students attend the Chester County schools in Great Falls. Dr. Hughes further informed me that Fairfield County was to send to Chester County $25,000 each school year to supplement the cost of the Fairfield County students attending Chester County schools. For the past two school years, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009, Fairfield County neglected to send the agreed upon monies. To put these $25,000 in perspective, for the upcoming 2009-2010 school year, the state’s budget projected Fairfield County will spend $8,343 per student in local monies, while Chester County will spend $5,050 per student. Based on these figures and the $25,000 per year paid to Chester County, Fairfield County currently only pays Chester County for 2.99 students. One hundred thirty students attend the Chester schools. This is an enormous savings for Fairfield County. This calculation does not even include what it would cost for Fairfield to transport the Mitford students to the Fairfield schools.
As a result of my conversations with Dr. Hughes, I looked into this matter and discovered that in 1972 Senator John A. Martin introduced local legislation which would allow the students of Fairfield County living in the Mitford Community to attend the Great Falls schools in Chester County. The purpose of this legislation was to prevent the long tiring bus ride from the northeastern part of the county to the Fairfield schools. The Mitford students could instead take a short 15-minute bus ride to the Great Falls schools, thus enabling these students to improve their school performance. The following year, 1973, the local legislation was repealed and state-wide legislation was substituted.
The funding for the education of each S.C. student is derived from three sources: federal, state and local funding. The federal and state funding has followed these 130 students to the Great Falls schools, but the local funding, which in Fairfield and Chester Counties is the largest source of funding, has been at $25,000 each year since 1972, and was not paid in the past two years. As stated above, for the 2009-2010 school year, Fairfield County is projected to spend $8,343 of local monies per student, and Chester County is projected to spend $5,050 of local monies per student.
This matter needed to be resolved, because both districts were preparing for their 2009-2010 budget year and needed to know what to expect. I contacted Chester County School Superintendent, Dr. Larry Heath, and then Fairfield County School Superintendent, Dr. Samantha Ingram, and requested they get together to resolve this issue. In addition, Rep. Boyd Brown and I met with Dr. Ingram expressing our concerns in regard to the above arrangements and requested that she and Dr. Heath get this resolved. Rep. Brown’s and my intentions were to no longer be involved in resolving this matter but to let Chester and Fairfield resolve it on their own.
In the meantime, I discussed my concerns with two of the Fairfield County School Board members and contacted another board member requesting a meeting with Chairperson Catherine Kennedy. The messages were left for these board members to contact me, but I never received a response. Subsequent to Dr. Ingram and Dr. Heath contacting their respective board members, Dr. Hughes met with Chairperson Kennedy and Ms. Annie McDaniel to discuss the situation between the two school districts. The representatives came to a consensus regarding the past due monies owed and future payment arrangements. As a result of this meeting, Fairfield County agreed to pay the arrearage of $50,000, which constituted payments of $25,000 a year for the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years. Despite several telephone calls from Dr. Hughes and me, and the letter dated April 22, 2009, addressed to Ms. Kennedy, Fairfield County made no contact with Dr. Hughes or with me to address these future payments. The letter to Chairperson Kennedy from Dr. Hughes reads as follows:
“April 22, 2009
Dear Ms. Kennedy:
Pursuant to my meeting with you and Ms. McDaniel on March 31st, you agreed that the Fairfield County School District would pay the Chester County School District $50,000 for the Mitford area students; the $50,000 represents payments ($25,000 each) that were not made for the 2007-2008 and the 2008-2009 school years. You further agreed that you would talk with your Board of Trustees about subsequent payments for the Mitford area students that would be commensurate with the tuition we charge out of county students, which is $2,300 per student. We agreed that it would be reasonable to expect a payment of $100,000 for the 2009-2010 school year; $200,000 for the 2010-2011 school year, and $2,300 for each student from Fairfield County that attends Chester County Schools for the 2011-2012 school year.
We further discussed that the Chester County School District would reevaluate costs at the end of three years to determine future tuition costs per student. It was further agreed that it would probably be reasonable to reassess these costs every three years thereafter to ensure that the Chester County School District is being adequately compensated for the educational costs for the Mitford area students.
Please let me know your school board’s decision on our discussion of the Mitford area students. I would greatly appreciate an answer no later than Wednesday, April 29, 2009, so that our district administration can move forward with budget planning for the 2009-2010 school year. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Yours truly,
Richard P. Hughes, M.D.
Chair, Chester County Board of School Trustees”
It was extremely important that this matter be resolved immediately because both districts were in the process of preparing their budgets for the 2009-2010 school year. Because time was of the essence and no contact came from Fairfield County, I introduced local legislation which mirrored the agreement between the school districts outlined in Dr. Hughes’ letter of April 22, 2009. This local legislation received second reading in the Senate Thursday, May 7, and third reading Friday, May 8.
On Thursday, May 7, while on my way home from the General Assembly, I received a telephone call from Ms. McDaniel and Chairperson Kennedy inquiring about the local legislation. Their concern was that there had been no communication between the local delegation and the school board. As a result of that comment, I stated there was ample communication with the board, as well as attempted additional communication, that because of their failure to communicate with Chester County, though I did not want to, I stepped in to resolve the issue. I was criticized for my position, but I reiterated that this issue was not about taking sides but about doing what was right for our children.
The legislation then went to the House and was scheduled to pass. Once again the Fairfield delegation received a request to stop the local legislation so that the two school boards could attempt to resolve this issue. This was, I believe, the last week of the legislature and we knew we would probably be back on this issue. Reluctantly, Rep. Brown and I consented to withdraw the legislation in order to allow the two Districts to resolve this issue because we did not want to be involved. We have heard absolutely nothing from the Fairfield County School Board. The Chester School Board called to say there was no resolution.
As a result of the above, I wrote Ms. McDaniel and current Superindependent Dr. Patrice Robinson on April 9, 2010, requesting the school district resolve this issue with Chester and, if not, legislation would be introduced to rectify the problem. Again, we received no communication whatsoever from the Fairfield County School District; therefore, legislation was introduced again.
It is amazing how the school district carried on its business in regard to this issue, agreed to something and then backed out. They did not respond to repeated communications. Then they sent out a letter signed by Dr. Robinson on May 10, 2010, to all parents stating:
“May 10, 2010
Dear Parents,
I would like to make you aware of new proposed legislation introduced by Senator Creighton Coleman and how it could affect our schools and school district budget. The new proposed legislation calls for Fairfield County Treasurer to send funds normally collected for the School District of Fairfield County to Chester County for students who voluntarily attend school in Chester County, but reside in Fairfield County.
We will continue to keep you informed of any developments that impact your children and our school district.
Thank you,
Patrice Robinson, Ph.D.
Superintendent”
Either Dr. Robinson does not know the full story or elects to ignore the full story.
In closing, the current controversy with the Fairfield County School Board is something in which neither Rep. Brown nor I wanted to get involved. The state of education affects every aspect of our lives in Fairfield County. A few of the results which our school system is creating are as follows: lack of industry and jobs coming to Fairfield County; our children not getting the education they need to succeed in today’s global world; taxes out of control because no industry is coming to Fairfield County to help pay taxes; and people leaving the county. Our educational system is the economic engine which drives every county and state. The sooner we rebuild our educational engine, the sooner Fairfield County can succeed.
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