Exciting News for Carolina Forest Families: New Schools on the Way!
MYRTLE BEACH – Get ready, parents and kiddos of Carolina Forest! Big changes are coming to your education scene next year. The Horry County Board of Education just gave the green light for two brand-new elementary schools that are set to open their doors in time for the new school year. This is fantastic news, especially for the nearly 2,000 students who will be attending these shiny new institutions!
What’s the Scoop?
During a recent meeting, which took place on December 9, local leaders approved new attendance areas that will include Pine Island Elementary and Ten Oaks Elementary. These schools are strategically being built to help ease the overcrowding that many current schools in the area have been facing. You see, it’s not just a few kids crammed into these buildings; many of them are over 100% capacity! That means that it’s been a wild ride for teachers and students alike trying to find some breathing room.
New Schools, New Opportunities
The excitement doesn’t end there! Pine Island Elementary is going to be located at 250 Ronald McNair Blvd, and has a whopping construction budget of nearly $65.7 million. Meanwhile, Ten Oaks Elementary will be located at Stafford Drive and Carolina Forest Boulevard, coming in with a budget of over $62.3 million. Each school is designed to accommodate around 1,200 students, which should bring some relief to the crowded programs currently in operation.
Joe Burch, the executive director of capital projects for the district, mentioned, “We did look very carefully at keeping our neighborhoods intact and together, and we were able to do that.”
Who’s Going Where?
So, how will the new schools affect the existing ones? Well, it’s all laid out in the new attendance plan. Ten Oaks Elementary will draw students from Carolina Forest Elementary and Ocean Bay Elementary. The neighborhoods benefitting from Ten Oaks include Summerlyn, Waterbridge, and Plantation Lakes, among others. Pine Island Elementary will welcome students from communities like Burning Ridge, Legends, and Tuscany. Parents can breathe easy knowing that the new schools plans consider local neighborhoods, keeping friends together!
An Overcrowded Situation
For context, take a look at the current stats: Carolina Forest Elementary sits at 136% capacity, Ocean Bay Elementary is even more packed at 144%, while River Oaks Elementary is bursting at the seams at 166% capacity! That’s just beyond what’s considered *efficient functional capacity*, which should sit around 85%. With the opening of the new schools, the average capacity across the five schools in the area could drop to about 76%, providing a much more manageable environment for everyone involved.
Making Space for Future Growth
The district also has plans to relocate over 50 modular classrooms to accommodate student growth moving forward. These portable classrooms are meant to handle overcrowding by shifting around some of the existing pressure from Carolina Forest Elementary, River Oaks Elementary, and Ocean Bay Elementary.
Our Future Stars!
What’s even more fun? Each of the new schools will have its own mascot and colors! The Ten Oaks Elementary red fox will prance around in red, maroon, and silver, while the Pine Island Elementary pelican is ready to soar in green and yellow. The mascots and designs are bound to become a point of pride for the students and a fun aspect to look forward to when school kicks off.
Looking Ahead
As the school district gets ready to unveil these fantastic educational facilities, it’s essential for families to stay in the loop. An interactive map has also been released, allowing parents to see how attendance boundaries will reshape their children’s school routes. There’s no doubt about it: every step is being taken to ensure our children get the best education possible!
So, get excited, Carolina Forest! With new schools springing up and communities coming together, the future looks bright for our kids!
Author: STAFF HERE MYRTLE BEACH
The HERE Myrtle Beach Staff Writers are a collaborative team of journalists, editors, and local contributors passionate about delivering accurate, timely information to the Myrtle Beach community. As part of the HEREcity.com Network, which powers over 100 U.S. city sites including HEREcolumbia.com, our staff draws on collective experience in South Carolina journalism to cover everything from business sales and real estate developments to dining deals and community initiatives. Our Expertise and Background Local Roots in Myrtle Beach Our team includes lifelong Myrtle Beach residents and SC natives with deep knowledge of the area’s history, economy, and culture. We’ve covered key events like the recent developments along the Grand Strand, Myrtle Beach’s tourism and hospitality industry, and growth in local education sectors (e.g., Coastal Carolina University programs). Collective Experience With over 50 combined years in journalism, our staff has backgrounds in print, digital media, and community reporting. We prioritize fact-based stories, drawing from sources like the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, city government records, and on-the-ground interviews. Commitment to Quality Every article is a group effort, involving research, editing, and verification to ensure reliability. We adhere to journalistic standards, citing credible sources and updating content as new details emerge.
