Horry County Schools to revisit changes to Scholars, AAST at upcoming board meeting
The Horry County Board of Education is slated to discuss changes to the Scholars Academy and the Academy for the Arts, Science, and Technology at its upcoming meeting.
The school board discussed at a September meeting making the Scholars Academy a standalone school and AAST a two-year program. Concerned parents packed the room, and no decision was made at the time.
Board meetings are held at 6 p.m. on Monday in the school’s district office on Four Mile Road in Conway. Discussion on the changes is slated to take place during the business section of the meeting under “curriculum committee recommendations.”
These changes were proposed by the Curriculum and Instruction Committee after its first meeting in August, and if approved, would go into effect at the beginning of the 2020 school year. Some of the conversations have been years in the making, but the current effort coincides with board initiatives to expand STEM opportunities.
Advantages include nationwide recognition and increasing students’ competitive edge when applying to universities, according to a list of benefits compiled by Horry County Schools staff.
Parents and students in the Scholars Academy expressed concerns that the proposed changes would create an unhealthy culture among the students.
There are no financial costs associated with the switch, according to HCS documents.
Read more on the pros and cons of the proposed changes.
