Eleven Newberry County students started back to school at a new campus last week, becoming the first local students to take advantage of school choice.

After AYP results were released in October, Boundary Street Elementary and Whitmire Community School (elementary) were required to offer school choice per federal regulations. Both of these Title I schools failed to meet AYP objectives in the same target areas for two consecutive years. They were two of the 51 schools across South Carolina required to offer school choice this year. This is the first time Newberry County schools have fallen into “needs improvement” status.

In October, letters were sent to all BSE and WCS parents notifying them of their choice to send students to alternative schools meeting AYP-Reuben and Gallman elementary schools.

Director of Elementary Education David Jenkins said that initially parents of 16 students at Boundary Street requested a move, but after further information was gathered, only 10 of those opted for choice. At Whitmire, only one student will take advantage of school choice.

These 11 students are fairly evenly divided between Reuben and Gallman elementary schools. Of the five new students at Reuben (including the one student from WCS), two are in the fifth grade, one is in the second grade and two are in the first grade. Gallman gained two third graders, one second grade student, a first grader and a kindergartner. The paper did not receive word on Gallman's sixth student.

The 11 students at a new school due to choice will stay at either RES or GES until the end of fifth grade, at which time they will return to the middle school in their attendance area.

During this time, the district will be providing transportation for all students requesting it. However, should either school be removed from NI status (by making AYP for two years in a row) transportation will no longer be provided.

Public Information Officer Hugh Gray said that parents wishing to move their child back to their original school before the end of elementary school will be considered on an individual basis.

For parents of students already living in the district, the time period for school choice at WCS and BSE has ended, but if a child moves into Newberry County, parents will be given the option to have their child attend Gallman or Reuben.