Berkeley County Council Approves $100K for Daniel Island School

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. – At its Monday meeting, Berkeley County Council voted unanimously to approve $100,000 for Daniel Island School to fund handicap-accessible playground equipment for special needs students and expand the school’s community sensory garden.

Daniel Island School’s Student Council President, eighth-grader Emily Hughes, addressed county council on the matter, requesting $72,000 for the project; but council surprised the student council by exceeding that request.

“We’re interested in making recess accessible to all students. We want to make this school a better place by adding special needs playground equipment and a sensory garden. We want to expand the play area to include handicap accessible equipment such as swings,” said Emily Hughes, Student Council President, Daniel Island School.

“We would love to expand the nearby community garden, which includes our current small sensory garden to be used by all of our students. We see kids with wheelchairs who sometimes get left out of recess or cannot physically use the equipment we currently have…and we want that to stop,” she continued.

The funding stems from Local Assistance and Tribal Consistency Funding (LATCF) and Accommodations Fee Discretionary Funds, county officials said.

Finance Committee Chair Josh Whitley said voting to approve the funding was an easy decision he was honored to make. Berkeley County Supervisor Johnny Cribb echoed his sentiments.

“On behalf of Berkeley County Council, we are proud to make this monetary donation for such an essential quality of life project for our children. It is encouraging to see children looking out for their peers; and this Student Council’s selfless and inspiring mission is proof that we have incredibly promising leaders in our County’s next generation,” Cribb said.

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