Clover Board of Trustees receives progress updates on new schools

Planning Process

Hopkins began by sharing how the school district is tracking all the tasks associated with opening the new schools. The 2026-2027 New Schools Playbook, as the district is calling it, is a task-oriented project tracker that details project assignments and task lists at multiple levels so that everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. The software the district is using to manage this is a tool called Monday.com, which is a project management platform. The platform allows tracking of detailed task lists and subtasks within those lists, as well as attaching relevant documents to these pieces to ensure nothing gets lost.

Student Assignment

Student assignment was the next point of discussion. This process is just getting started, but Hopkins wanted to share the plans so that all stakeholders can be informed as this important part of opening a new school unfolds. The district, along with feedback from the Parent Advisory Committee, generated a set of guiding principles to keep in mind as they begin this process. They are:

• Not split neighborhoods.
• Use major highways and thoroughfares as lines.
• Strive to maintain feeder elementary>middle>high patterns.
• Strive to maintain 80% school capacities.
• Strive to move students no more than once.
• Strive to minimize travel distance to school.
• Consider known new construction in the district attendance boundary.

Previously shared growth maps were then shared again, with Hopkins explaining that he had recently reached out to the county for updates on newly approved neighborhoods in the attendance zone. A new graphic was then shared with approved neighborhoods. The black stars represent newly approved neighborhoods. Westport, in the southeastern part of Lake Wylie, is by far the largest, with 842 new homes having been approved. The potential new community members and new enrollments were also shared and can be seen in the tables below and to the right.

New enrollment numbers were calculated using the calculations used for the impact fee study. Hopkins also reviewed current elementary zones, shared where Liberty Elementary would be located in reference to those zones, and discussed the impact the new school would have on current zones. The same explanation was presented for the new middle and high schools, as well. The next steps in this process are to generate and evaluate multiple models of attendance zones this coming spring, and then to communicate, collect feedback, finalize, and gain approval for attendance zones beginning in the Fall of 2025.

Staff Assignments

Sauls then addressed the Board regarding staff assignments. The activities and timelines shared were as follows:

• October-November 2024: Conduct a needs assessment to establish class sizes, programs, and initial staffing needs.
• November-December 2024: Develop standards and processes for student transfers.
• Summer 2025: Refine staffing requirements for each school. Select principals and set transition dates for their new roles.
• August-September 2025: Initiate the transfer interest round for staff.
• September 2025-March 2026: Conduct staff interviews and make reassignment decisions. Recruit and hire additional personnel for unfilled positions.
• April 2026: Issue contracts and confirm staff placements.

Next, Sauls discussed Human Resources’ plan to move forward with this process. They will first use Clover Program Standards to determine staffing needs and select principals for the schools. Once staffing needs have been established and principals have been selected, teachers will have to opportunity to voluntarily request transfers. Once a list of interested teachers has been established, principals will be able to interview and hire. Once all transfer requests have been considered, additional staff moves may be considered and then new staff will be hired to fill in additional vacancies.

To address these vacancies, the district plans to prioritize active recruitment efforts and partnerships with higher education institutions, including Winthrop University, Grand Canyon University, Gardner-Webb University, and USC Upstate.

Sauls shared that even though principals would be named in July of 2025, the Lake Wylie High School Principal would be the only one to assume the role then. Roosevelt Middle and Liberty Hill Elementary Principals would not assume their roles until January of 2026. The early transition of the high school principal is because that person will need a full year to get the high school ready for opening. For teachers wishing to transfer, that process will begin in the Fall of 2025. Sauls further clarified considerations for reassignment of staff members, once voluntary transfers have closed. Some of those considerations include years of experience, years of experience in CSD, teacher leadership credentials, and additional instructional endorsements. The goal is to ensure equal representation of teacher credentials across schools as much as possible.

Recruitment will continue to occur throughout the process, as it traditionally has happened. A new partnership has begun with USC Upstate that will allow Clover students who wish to stay in Clover the opportunity to do internships, student teach, and eventually be hired here. The district also plans to continue its “Grow Our Own” program, which offers a variety of ways for faculty and staff to continue to grow within the district. Initiatives like the Assistant Principal Professional Learning Community, Future Leaders program, and Teacher Leadership Pathways are a part of this program and will support the development of in-district talent.

Dr. Sheila Quinn, CSD Superintendent, wrapped up the presentation by sharing ways the community and parents can stay engaged with the process of opening these three new schools over the next year and a half. The district will provide opportunities for feedback on the school attendance boundaries. Once principals have been named, they will typically host monthly Community Coffee Hours to meet with parents so they can get a sense of the community and what parents want to see in the schools. Parent/Teacher organizations will be formed or reorganized, and there will be several meet-and-greet opportunities for new administration and faculty at the new schools.

The meeting ended with a question about opening with athletics. Dr. Quinn shared that one of the big decisions still to make was whether or not to open the new high school with just grades 9 and 10 or to include grades 9, 10, and 11. There are pros and cons to each type of opening in regard to athletics and conference entry, and those will be discussed during the decision-making process.

To view the recording of this CSD board meeting or any other board meeting, these along with the agendas and minutes can be found on the CSD website. Construction updates for all three schools can be found here.