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Article published Jul 20, 2003
New law frees up districts to better serve students and families

Spartanburg will soon have two vacant Wal-Mart buildings to add to the number of empty big-box storefronts. What should be done with such facilities?
Gov. Mark Sanford has suggested renovating them into community schools -- small schools that serve the neighborhoods around them.
Legislation he signed into law last week will enable school districts to more easily create small schools.
Sanford wants to promote small schools in order to prevent suburban sprawl. The new law removes the minimum acreage standards that had been set in state law. Those minimums forced districts to look for large tracts of land outside developed areas and pushed development into these new areas. The new law should spur redevelopment of existing buildings.
Also, by locating schools within established communities, Sanford hopes to spur greater parental involvement in schools that are closer to students' homes.
These are worthwhile goals. There are few things that will help students and their schools more than substantial parental involvement.
And the problem of vacant discount stores and supermarkets is a growing concern. The relocation of Spartanburg's two Wal-Marts to newly built supercenters will leave two vacant stores behind. These vacant buildings are eyesores and economic scars. Any chance to redevelop the properties should be seized.
But another benefit to the new law is that it frees up local school districts from unnecessary state limitations. There is no reason for the state to dictate the size of school properties.
Local school boards are best suited to respond to the needs of their communities in locating and designing schools. They should have maximum freedom to do so.
Local boards should have the ability to choose small community schools or huge complexes outside existing developed areas, as they determine is necessary for their students.
Smaller, community-based schools seem like a valuable idea and a good priority, but local boards should have the ability to decide what makes sense for the particular needs they are addressing.