Don’t use the Broad River as a ‘red line’ interfering with Beaufort County school attendance zones

Prior to 1964, the Beaufort County School Board had an arbitrary rule that black high school students went to Roberts Smalls High.

From 1964 to 1972, the board had an arbitrary rule that black high school students could apply and go to Beaufort High but white high school students could not go to Robert Smalls High.

In 2018, the school board has an arbitrary rule that students living north of the Broad River attend high schools north of the river and students living south of the Broad River attend high schools south of the river.

The board is now re-aligning zoning for schools south of the river. Even though there is available capacity at Battery Creek High, that capacity is not being utilized because of the board’s arbitrary rule. Instead of transporting students 13 miles to Battery Creek High on the “other” side of the river, the board transports students 18 miles to May River High.

An arbitrary “red line” is not right. We should be fully utilizing all of our schools before building additional ones on the “right” side of the river.

All of our schools should provide good educational opportunities to all our students and be funded appropriately, regardless of which side of the river they are located.

If that is not the case, then spend the money bringing all schools to a higher level and fully utilize all available school capacity before building new schools south of the Broad River.

Beaufort County’s future needs ‘yes’ vote for land preservation Nov. 6

Beaufort County Council, in what is an important win for all residents, recently voted unanimously to purchase and preserve Whitehall Point on Lady’s Island. Whitehall is the most recent addition to the wonderful legacy of the county’s Rural and Critical Lands program.

Since 2006, and in conjunction with the Rural and Critical program, the Beaufort County Open Land Trust has worked with landowners to negotiate permanent conservation easements that best ensure the future of both the property and Beaufort County.

In addition to Whitehall, other protected properties include the Ulmer property on the May River, the Mobley tract on the Okatie River, Henry Farms on St. Helena Island, and Bindon Plantation on the Pocotaligo River. Each of these properties protected with conservation easements supports a healthy rural and riverfront landscape for Beaufort County.

While these properties and others have been real successes, there is more to be done. Beaufort County’s population continues to grow and this trend will continue. As David Lauderdale recently wrote, “we must own the land or own the development rights” to protect important places.

We were proud to be a part of a unified effort to save Whitehall. In order to ensure that similar projects and rural landscapes remain an important and significant part of Beaufort County’s future, we urge you to support the Rural and Critical Lands Program on election day. This nationally recognized program has a long and enduring legacy. Please vote “yes” on for the General Obligation Bonds.

We must find common ground

To begin to solve the divisiveness and the many problems of our day, we must be positive and seek the common ground.

That is where the God-given values that bind humanity can be found.

Music, art, and love all reside there. And it is where God prefers to live. We are all His beloved children. We must find that common ground.