Hunt Meadows school is finalist for award

EASLEY — The South Carolina School Improvement Council has named Hunt Meadows Elementary School in Easley as a finalist in a statewide award.

The school was identified as a one of five to qualify for the Dick and Tunky Riley School Improvement Award for their efforts to “foster parent and civic engagement,” according to a press release from the council.

Alison Pearson, chair for school’s improvement council, said the council was thrilled to be honored.

“We are very excited for our school and all the volunteers who work so hard for our school,” she said. “We are a relatively small school. … Our census runs just over 500 at any given time and we’re competing with all sorts of larger schools. We definitely accomplished a lot for being a small school.”

Hunt Meadows, in Anderson County School District 1 in the Williamston area, was named for its strong families, beautification and data collection and grants committees, said Cassie Barber, executive director for the South Carolina Improvement Council.

“Hunt Meadows was named for being a really being a fine example of a school improvement council and what they can accomplish,” said Barber said.

The school improvement council developed several programs that impressed the council including a “Talk with the docs” program that gave parents a place in the school to talk to doctors about allergies, asthma and other medical issues.

“One thing that really impressed me was that they included a mental health component in that,” Barber said. “They instituted a “Coffee with the Counselor” program that created a place for parents to have a low-key conversation with the guidance counselors so they could discuss in a non-confrontational atmosphere any issues they may have.”

Hunt Meadows council also worked to clean up and beautify the school grounds, as well as create a base of data that would allow them to apply for grants, she said.

South Carolina law requires that every school have its own school improvement council that meets with the principal to develop and implement a school improvement plan.

Also named as finalists were The Children’s School at Sylvia Circle in Rock Hill Schools, Mauldin High School in Greenville County Schools, Morningside Middle School in Charleston County School District and Round Top Elementary School in Richland School District 2.

The winning school will be announced on March 14 during a special awards luncheon in Columbia.