The public is being asked to help the Kershaw County School District plan for future needs at community schools.

Meetings are scheduled throughout June at every school in the district as part of district officials’ plans to make all schools equitable.

Billy Smith, assistant superintendent for administration, called the meetings critical for long-range facility planning.

“You need a road map before you take a journey,” he said. “If we do great facility planning which involves those who work in a facility and those who care about its place in the community, then we can save both time and money as we proceed with facility projects.”

Consultants from Heery International are working with the school officials to conduct a thorough study of all facilities in the district and design a road map for meeting current and future needs, according to Superintendent Herb Berg.

The meetings will last about 21/2 hours and will include a presentation from Heery, an open discussion about needs, and a survey about that specific school site and the district as a whole.

“These meetings will allow our consultants to work with members of a school staff as well as supporters of that school to gain an understanding of the school community, its wants and its needs,” Berg said.

The schools are issuing open invitations to the meetings to encourage participation as well as sending personal letters to school supporters and community members.

In addition to the meetings, Smith said, the long-range planning will include:

* A team of engineers, architects and design specialists from Heery, conducting on-site visits at each facility.

* A demographer conducting a population study to determine enrollment and growth projections for the district over the next 10 years.

* Heery’s education specialist working for two days this month with a large group of staff from all district schools to design specs for a model elementary, middle and high school, an alternative school and a technical campus.

Heery representatives plan to make a comprehensive report to the Kershaw County School Board in mid-August that will detail school facility needs for the next decade.

“Our goal is equalization of curriculum and opportunities across the district,” Berg said. “Defining what a ‘model school’ should be gives us a standard basis of comparison when we start defining our needs.”

SCHEDULE

Upcoming meetings on school facility needs:

June 13

9- 11:30 a.m. -Continuous Learning Center

1-3:30 p.m. -Blaney Elementary

6- 8:30 p.m. -Bethune Elementary

June 14

9- 11:30 a.m. -ATEC

1-3:30 p.m. -Camden Elementary

6- 8:30 p.m. -Baron DeKalb Elementary

June 15

9- 11:30 a.m. -North Central High

1-3:30 p.m. -Wateree Elementary

6- 8:30 p.m. -Midway Elementary

June 16

9- 11:30 a.m. -Lugoff-Elgin High

1-3:30 p.m. -Pine Tree Hill Elementary

6- 8:30 p.m. -Mount Pisgah Elementary

June 27

6- 8:30 p.m. -Camden High

June 28

6- 8:30 p.m. -Lugoff-Elgin Middle

June 29

9- 11:30 a.m. -Camden Middle School

1-3:30 p.m. -Doby’s Mill Elementary

6- 8:30 p.m. -Jackson School

June 30

9- 11:30 a.m. -Leslie M. Stover

1-3:30 p.m. -North Central Middle School

6- 8:30 p.m. -Lugoff Elementary School