Ferry change makes Daufuskie teachers late for school

Being late for school usually is a problem

associated with students.

But at the 12-student schoolhouse on Daufuskie Island, a shift in the island's ferry schedule has made the two teachers the tardy ones.

The school's two full-time teachers had been traveling to Daufuskie from Hilton Head Island on an early morning ferry that left at 8 a.m., arriving by around 8:45 a.m.

They rode free on the ferry owned by Daufuskie Island Properties, which owns the Daufuskie Island Resort & Breathe Spa. The ferry service, which uses the Salty Fare Landing on Squire Pope Road, was bought by Ross Lysinger's Daufuskie Island Ferry Company, which took over operations Nov. 28.

Lysinger said ridership has been down since the resort's Melrose Inn closed for the season, forcing him to reduce the number of daily ferry runs. Lysinger also said the resort asked him to push the morning ferry run back an hour because winter frosts mean golfers can't start playing as early in the day.

But the 9 a.m. departure time, which began almost two weeks ago, means teachers get to Daufuskie about a half hour after school starts. Lysinger said he still offers the teachers free rides to Daufuskie.

For now an administrative assistant who lives on Daufuskie watches the students during a period where they eat breakfast and use educational computer programs. Teachers also are ending the day later, so students receive the same number of hours of instruction.

"It's nothing Pat Conroy didn't run into," said teacher Sarah Haarlow, referring to the nationally renowned author whose book, "The Water is Wide," chronicled his struggles as a teacher on isolated Daufuskie.

"I didn't realize what was going on with the school teachers, but I can't afford to run a separate boat run for two teachers," Lysinger said, "so I suggested they look for another ferry company with a different schedule."

That's what the Beaufort County School District is doing, according to Jackie Rosswurm, a district liaison for Daufuskie.

"We're looking into all the different ferry services between Hilton Head and Daufuskie to see if we can fix the problem."

Rosswurm said she should have more information from ferry companies by

Monday.

Frank Duncan, a parent of a student at the pre-kindergarten through fifth grade school, said he's concerned that Daufuskie students are suffering just because of financial problems at the resort.

"Times are hard and everyones crunching a nickel, but it shouldn't fall down on the

children," he said.