CCSD discuss next steps in superintendent search and ESSER funding

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston County School District (CCSD) leaders met Monday, discussing some of the district’s most pivotal issues that include how to spend Covid-19 relief money and the search for a new superintendent.

Board members met for hours discussing the next steps for the district and some people met outside the district headquarters to demonstrate what change they want to see in the district.

“I’m nervous about a new school board and the way they are going about what they are doing. I am nervous for our children,” says Tanang Williams, the Fellowship Director for Charleston RISE.

Williams says it’s important for school leaders to act now with ESSER funding to help students who have fallen behind during the pandemic.

“They need to make better use of the testing scores so that they can better teach our kids and they need to do better by our children,” says Williams.

The board also went over the next steps in the search for their next superintendent. Since March, a special committee of CCSD board members have been narrowing down potential search firms to use in the hiring process. They’ve gotten that number down to six finalists.

Board members like Kate Darby says this process may be difficult for the district because the whole board is up for re-election in November.

“As we are searching for a superintendent, a superintendent is going to be interviewing us as well. I think it will be interested in hearing what the firms say,” says Darby.

As some board members want to move things along more quickly, Vice-Chair Courtney Waters believes it’s important for the board to take time planning and outlining specific criteria for the next person to lead the district.

“We have to create a profile of the individual. We need to get public input, and that’s quite a bit of work we can be doing in these next however many months,” says Waters.

Community leaders say going forward they would like to see a change that will have a positive impact on CCSD students.

“I’m hoping and praying that we can get people in there that can make a change now, instead of stopping doing things to have nothing happen,” says Williams.

The board also voted on making outgoing Superintendent Dr. Gerrita Postlewait a consultant on two ESSER funding projects.

CCSD’s Board of Trustees’ next meeting is Monday, May 23rd.