The Charleston County School District may soon consider creating a school “emulating” the programs at Buist Academy, the peninsula’s in-demand magnet program. The proposal was included in budget documents during a Monday workshop, but it was unclear whether the board would take up the proposal during the workshop or at another time.
The proposal notes that Memminger has open enrollment, as opposed to Buist’s complicated lottery and evaluation process. The principal at Memminger was previously a vice principal at Buist for three years.
The district most recently did a tepid review of the Buist’s admission policy, deciding in the end to make no changes other than promising a more vigilant address verification process. Those changes came as national attention focused on parents fibbing about addresses to score prized spots reserved for downtown students. There had been talk last fall about potentially moving Buist to a larger building or replicating the program somewhere else.
“People don’t want a bigger Buist,” said peninsula Constituent Board member Pamela Kusmider at the time. “They want more Buists.”
The added programs at Memminger would require a new assistant principal, a full-time nurse, full-time P.E. teacher, full-time art teacher, new Latin and Spanish teachers, a full-time guidance counselor, and an updated media center. The new staff and resources would cost less than $350,000.
Update: The proposal was introduced by Toya Hampton-Green and Arthur Ravenel Jr. The board yet to consider the proposal
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