CCSD unveils plans for new Johns Island elementary school

JOHNS ISLAND, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston County School District (CCSD) is unveiling the layout for a new elementary school on Johns Island.

“Tonight’s meeting was an opportunity for the school district to provide feedback that we received from the City of Charleston,” Jeff Borowy, CCSD’s chief operating officer, said, “on changes to the existing site plan where we’re going to build a new school.”

The school district says Thursday’s meeting was also an opportunity for neighbors to share their thoughts on the new school.

“We received some great comments,” Borowy said. “We obviously heard concerns that citizens have.”

Many of those concerns center around neighbors worried about increased volumes of traffic along River Road.

“Johns Island traffic is a challenge around the entire island,” Borowy said, “not just related to schools, and we want to make sure that we provide feedback to our municipal partners so they understand what we’re hearing out here.”

CCSD says they’ve addressed those concerns by conducting a traffic study that is nearly complete.

“We have complete faith and trust in our traffic engineers who have been doing this for a living,” Borowy said. “That report will be made public, everyone can look at that. We trust in their recommendations.”

However, those in attendance didn’t seem to have many concerns regarding the school’s design.

“The layout,” Johns Island resident Kellie Martinez said, “I mean it looks beautiful. The logistics of it, I understand why they turned it, so that it’s facing residential instead of the main road. I mean, it makes sense to me.”

Martinez has two daughters and one will attend the new school once it opens.

“In 2024 to 2025,” she said, “my little one will be in fourth grade, and attending.”

Martinez says she’s excited her daughter will have the opportunity to learn at Johns Island’s newest elementary school.

“I love the merge,” she said. “A lot of times, I’ll ask parents that live in the neighborhood that choose to go to Angel Oak, ‘Why do you go there?’ and it’s because of the arts. We love the arts, so I love that they’re bringing the science, mixed with math and then the arts in it. I think it’s going to be great.”

CCSD officials say their next step is a Design Review Board meeting, which is scheduled for Monday, November 7.