Youngest, most vulnerable children get new opportunity
Beaufort County has taken a significant step this week to improve the future for its most vulnerable children.
The county school district is now reaching closer to the cradle -- and farther from a fading tradition that school starts at age 6 -- to get children off to a good educational start.
As of Monday, the newly transformed James J. Davis Elementary School in the rural Dale community in northern Beaufort County offers five classes for 3-year-olds. Today, 85 of these little children are in school -- 51 more than previously served in the area, one of the poorest in the state.
And this is an interim step. Soon, the district hopes, infants as young as six weeks old and children younger than 3 will be served at the Davis Early Childhood Education Center. The school already has five pre-kindergarten classes serving as many as a hundred 4-year-olds.
For the past 20 years, the national dialogue on improving education, boosted by new research into early brain development, has focused on early intervention and helping students start first grade ready to learn. High-quality early learning can help close the achievement gap between the rich and poor.
The new classes at the school in Dale come as the Beaufort County School District plans ribbon-cutting ceremonies for next Monday at two new early childhood education centers in Bluffton.
Each school -- one next to M.C. Riley Elementary and one next to Bluffton Elementary -- will hold 300 students in pre-kindergarten (age 4) through first grade.
To appreciate the depth of what we're seeing happen in our community in this two-week span, remember that not long ago full-day kindergarten was not offered in many schools.
We're convinced that the early start will pay big dividends. But nothing can replace the family in preparing students to learn. If we are to succeed, we will need to see more of the collaborative work that has gone into the new programs at Davis Early Childhood Education Center.
That work includes the Beaufort-Jasper Head Start program for early-childhood education and the Sheldon Township Community Support Partnership, which brings together residents, churches, businesses, neighborhoods and institutions.
The new center also is benefiting from another partner, Beaufort-based Environments Inc. The company designs, manufactures and distributes children's furniture, educational equipment and curriculum material for early childhood education. It has donated about $15,000 worth of goods and services to the new classrooms at Davis. Natalie Daise said, "It seemed an excellent opportunity to put our money where our heart is."
More of Beaufort County's youngest, most vulnerable children now have new opportunity. This is progress.
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- Gov. Mark Sanford (R)
Governor’s Office, State House, P.O. Box 12267, Columbia, S.C. 29211
Office: (803) 734-2100 Fax: (803) 734-5167 - Senator Tom Davis(R-District 46)
P.O. Drawer 1107, Beaufort, 29901-1107
(843) 252-8583
602 Gressette Bldg., Columbia, 29201
Bus. (803) 212-6008 - Rep. Curtis Brantley (D-District 122)
194 Bees Creek Rd., Ridgeland, 29936
(843) 726-5998
314D Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
(803) 734-2965 - Rep. Richard Chalk (R-District 123)
326C Blatt Building, Columbia, S.C. 29211-1867
Office: (803) 734-3067; Home: (843) 842-5985
15 Goldfinch Lane, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928 - Rep. Shannon S. Erickson (R-District 124)
(843) 986-1090
306A Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
(803) 734-3261 - Rep. Bill Herbkersman (R-District 118)
P.O. Box 11867, Columbia, S.C. 29211
Office: (803) 734-3063; Home: (843) 757-5424
151 Gascoigne Bluff, Bluffton, S.C. 29910 - Rep. Kenneth F. Hodges (D-District 121)
PO Drawer 355, Green Pond, 29446
(843) 525-9006 Home (843) 844-8756
434B Blatt Bldg., Columbia, 29201
(803) 734-3062
- Rick Caporale (R-District 1)
17 Salt Wind Way, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
Office: 680-9999; fax: 681-6700 - Steven Baer (R-District 2)
10 Heather Lane, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29926
Office: 689-3570; fax: 689-3569 - Stu Rodman (R-District 3)
27 Baynard Park, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29928
Office: 363-470; fax: 363-6472 - Weston J. Newton chairman (R-District 4)
P.O. Drawer 7049, Hilton Head Island, S.C. 29938
Office: 842-6111; fax: 706-9981 - William McBride (D-District 5)
P.O. Box 77, St. Helena Island, SC 29920
Fax:(843)838-8303
Home:(843)838-2264 - Gerald Dawson (D-District 6)
64-A Horace Dawsone Drive, Seabrook, SC 29940
Fax:(843)846-4738
Office:(843)846-4830 - Paul Sommerville vice chairman (R-District 7)
1509 Pigeon Point Road, Beaufort, SC 29902
Fax:(843)379-7115
Office:(843)379-7114 - Herbert N. Glaze (D-District 8)
P.O. Box 4053, Burton, SC 29903
Fax:(843)846-3601
Home:(843)846-2845 - Brian Flewelling (R- District 9)
25 Petigru Drive, Beaufort, SC 29902
Fax:(843)379-9806
Office:(843)379-9805 - Jerry Stewart (R-District 10)
11 Teaberry Lane, Bluffton, S.C. 29909
Office: 705-4753; fax: 705-4723 - Laura Von Harten (D-District 11)
166 Fuller Parkway, Beaufort, SC 29902
Fax:(843)379-1380
Office:(843)379-1367
- District Office: 1300 King St., P.O. Drawer 309, Beaufort, SC 29902
Office: 322-2300; fax: 322-2371
Hilton Head Island office, 689-4635; fax: 689-4617
Beaufort County Board of Education members:
- Fred S. Washington chairman (District 11)
PO 325, 804 West Street, Beaufort, SC 29901
(C) 843-524-8404 - Bob Arundell vice chairman (District 2)
198 Woodlake Villas, Hilton Head, S.C. 29926
Home: 681-8502; work: 7855-8040; fax: 785-3056; - Joan Deery (District 1)
5 old Fort Drive, Hilton Head, S.C. 29926
Home: 681-8968 - Wayne Carbiener (District 3)
Home: 843-363-2113 - Laura Bush (District 4)
P.O. Box 172, Bluffton, S.C. 29910
Home: 757-2638; fax: 757-2638 - Michael F. Rivers, Sr. (District 5)
734 Seaside Road, St. Helena, SC 29920
(H) 843-838-2277
FAX 843-838-1192 - Earl Campbell (District 6)
93 Bruce Smalls, Grays Hill, P.O. Box 768, Lobeco, SC 29931
(H) 843-846-4531
(C) 843-476-7512
FAX 843-846-1373 - Jim Bequette (District 7)
4 Broomfield Lane 2532, Beaufort, SC 29907
(H/C) 843-263-8327 - Herbert Burnes (District 8)
95 Pine Grove Road, Beaufort, SC 29906
(H) 843-846-445
(C) 843-263-2776 - Ronald Speaks (District 9)
3121 Palomino Dr., Burton, SC 29906
(H) 843-525-1163
(W) 843-525-8277
FAX 843-525-1163 - George Wilson (District 10)
20 Osprey Circle, Callawassie Island, S.C. 29909
Home: 987-1234; cell: 812-9870
- Mayor Billy Keyserling
771 Ribaut Rd., Beaufort, SC 29902
(843) 986-2444 (Work)
(843) 521-2600 (Home) - Councilwoman Donnie Ann Beer
P.O. Box 1171, Beaufort, SC 29901
379-6099 (Home)
379-2750 (Work) - Councilman Gary Fordham
860 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902
524-3334 (Home) - Councilman Mike Sutton
809 Craven St., Beaufort, SC 29902
252-5687 - Councilman Mike McFee
2302 Wilson Dr. Beaufort, SC 29902
843-321-0556 (Work)
843-522-1528 (Home)
- Town Hall: One Town Center Court, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928; 341-4600 Town Council
- Mayor Thomas D. Peeples
4 Hartford Place, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928-3922
Home: 686-4138; office: 681-2600; fax: 689-3229 - Bill Ferguson (Ward 1)
634 William Hilton Parkway, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 686-2863 - William Harkins (Ward 2)
3 Old Fort Lane Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
263-3261 - cell - Drew A. Laughlin (Ward 3)
5 McIntosh Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 689-5723; work 689-5700; fax 689-9300 - John Safay (Ward 4)
19 Starboard Tack, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 785-4489; work: 785-4696; fax: 785-4696 - George Williams (Ward 5)
8 Braddock Cove, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 363-6601; fax: 363-6604 - Ken S. Heitzke (Ward 6)
3 Audubon Place, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Home: 681-8182; fax: 681-9864
- P.O. Box 386, Bluffton, SC 29910
Office: 706-4500; fax: 757-6720
Town Council
- Mayor Lisa Sulka
P.O. Box 2750, Bluffton, SC 29910 - Fred Hamilton Jr
52 Goethe Road, Bluffton, SC 29910
Home: 815-5511 - Charlie Wetmore
P.O. Box 468 Bluffton, SC 29910
Home: 304-4061 - Councilman Oliver Brown
- Councilwoman Allyne Mitchell
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