By Scott Graber
In a previous column I wrote about Herman Gaither’s modest up-bringing, and his record of building or renovating nearly every school in Beaufort County’s School District. But a successful district involves more than new bricks, linoleum and bathroom tile.
Gaither was also concerned about curriculum — he wanted to give every Beaufort County student the opportunity to succeed. There was, at the time of his ascendancy, the widely accepted theory that small class size was the key to success. And if there was any school that then enjoyed this “small class” advantage it was Port Royal Elementary.
Port Royal’s school age population was declining (as the Town itself was declining) and previous Superintendents believed it was time to close-down this white-painted neighborhood school located within walking distance of many of its students.
There was the notion that any school, wherever located, should have a population of at least 500 students.
Port Royal didn’t come close to this number.
The people in Port Royal, however, rose up and they stopped the District’s efforts to shut down their “neighborhood” school also arguing that closing the school would effectively eviscerate their Town by removing the children.
It was against this background and these discussions that Gaither began his tenure and fashioned his bond referendums.
Gaither designed his buildings to have a limited enrollment and to provide common areas where 3rd, 4th and 5th graders could mingle. These schools would have special sessions that would include several different grade levels.
Gaither also believed he had to get laptops into the hands of students as soon as possible. And so he began a program in 1996 to give every 6th grader a laptop. In 1997 he got laptops to every 7th grader; the 8th graders getting laptops a year later.
More importantly Gaither brought parents into the discussion about what should be included in the curriculum as well as the design of the building. Gaither’s focus on the community came at the same moment that charter schools were opening up throughout Beaufort County.
In 1998 the first charter school was opened-up in Beaufort County. In theory, charter schools were a way to get away from the bureaucracy that appeared to straight-jacket the teachers and diminish creativity. In those long gone days it was simply “teach to the test.”
“But every student who left the public schools (and went to a charter school) took money with him (or her) when he or she left,” said Gaither.
Gaither worried that losing this money, as well as losing the most affluent students, would cripple the public system. He realized that he would somehow have to compete with these new, experimental schools by having programs for the gifted and talented; programs like the International Baccalaureate.
“Two doctors came to see me wanting my assurance that their children would be able to get the math skills needed to become engineers. I knew that if we were to survive we would have to have STEM programs that would keep these kids in our system.”
But there were some pitfalls.
By 2000, it was clear that a 3rd high school was needed.
“Beaufort High School was at capacity, and we had students living in Big Estate who had to catch a bus at dawn in order to get to school by eight.”
The District decided to build this new school on the northern side of the Whale Branch River—a location that would require a redrawing of attendance zones. The District began to spend big money for land acquisition and for planning—especially in designing a sewage disposal system.
Many parents didn’t like a plan that shifted their children from Beaufort High to Battery Creek. The County said this area — Dale and Lobeco — was designated “rural” on the Comprehensive Plan. Conservation Groups voiced their opposition. Governor Sanford also opposed the location saying it would encourage development of this pastoral part of Beaufort County.
Eventually the School Board voted to reverse the District’s decision putting the new high school on the southern side of the river.
Herman Gaither began his career in a one-room, un-plumbed school house in Great Falls, S.C. As a college student he demonstrated, at Claflin, his disdain for this system. And yet, somehow, this man suppressed his resentment.
Gaither repeatedly appeared before skeptical County Councils — repeatedly arguing that the rebuilding of Beaufort’s schools and the re-imagination of teaching technology was necessary.
This man — quietly and without rancor — revolutionized education in Beaufort County.
Scott Graber is a lawyer, novelist, veteran columnist and longtime resident of Port Royal. He can be reached at cscottgraber@gmail.com.
