Bond votes, cell phones, more kids. What to know as Rock Hill area goes back to school

Close to 70,000 students across the Rock Hill region will have to kiss summer goodbye as they gear up for a back-to-school rite that’s grown from a day to a full season.

Clover, York and Chester County schools start Thursday. Rock Hill and Fort Mill teachers return that day, ahead of school starting Aug. 8 in those districts. Lancaster County students start Aug. 12, a week after their teachers return.

The new school year begins earlier than ever, featuring new cell phone policies and community bond votes to build more schools. Districts continue to register new students, and several areas expect enrollment to increase throughout the year.

The Herald reached out to each district in its three counties to find out what parents and students need to know before they head out this fall.

Early start date and weeks off

The six school districts broke from tradition last year by starting back not on the same day, but across a two-week span.

Some districts kept the state-mandated third Monday in August date. By modifying their calendars to a “year round” model, other districts got around the state rule in an effort to even the number of days in both semesters with winter break in the middle.

No one is waiting until the third Monday anymore.

Clover, York and Chester County start earliest but also take a week off Oct. 7-11 (students also get Oct. 14 off). Clover and Chester County have another week off Feb. 17-21, while York is off Feb. 24-28. Those dates are in addition to typical time off for winter break, spring break and Thanksgiving.

Those districts will graduate students May 29 or May 30 next spring, which is later than graduations in Rock Hill (May 27) or Fort Mill (May 24). Lancaster County starts latest but will graduate May 30. Rock Hill, Fort Mill and Lancaster County have more traditional schedules without the woven in weeks off to create a “year round” calendar.

All six districts will take off Election Day since it’s a presidential election year.

More students expected to attend

Even when districts started later, they often grew enrollment in the late summer and fall as people moved from places where schools may start closer to Labor Day. Starting earlier could mean more late-comers.

“There are 9,387 students listed in the student information system,” Clover district spokesman Bryan Dillon said Tuesday. “We expect that number to grow above 9,400 by September with normal late additions.”

Widespread COVID pandemic enrollment dips and rebounds make growth comparisons difficult for recent years. There’s also an increase in non-traditional options like Legion Collegiate Academy that opened in 2019 and expansion at York Preparatory Academy . Still, hot spots continue to add students.

As of Monday, the Fort Mill district had about 18,600 students registered and more in process. That’s about 400 more students than what the district’s state report card shows just last year.

“We expect that number to continue to rise throughout the next few weeks and during the school year,” said district spokesman Joe Burke.

Report card data show enrollment grew 9.2% in Clover, 7.3% in Fort Mill and 6.7% in Lancaster County from 2020 to last year. Five-year growth was 21.1% in Fort Mill, 15.8% in Clover and 14.2% in Lancaster County. Those three districts grew by almost 6,300 students in five years.

Rock Hill dropped 6%, York 3% and Chester County 6.4% from 2020 to 2023. In five years, it’s a decrease of 7.1% in Rock Hill, 4% in York and 9.9% in Chester County. Or, almost 2,000 fewer students attended those districts last year than did five years prior.

York, though, doesn’t expect a dip this year.

“We anticipate an increase in student enrollment given the number of new residential developments within the city of York,” said district spokeswoman Latoya Dixon.

Here’s more on each district, from looming big decisions to new school construction:

Clover

Number of schools: 10, plus Clover Academy

Projected students: 9,387

What’s new?

Clover High School and the ninth grade campus have had the front driveways reworked to separate the two entrances and create better flow for the number of cars dropping off and picking up students each day. Renovations to the high school track and tennis courts have been completed and will be available for the 2024-25 school year. An athletic field house is being built on the high school main campus to allow for additional weightlifting capabilities, a wrestling room and coaching offices.

A fine arts wing is being added to the ninth grade campus. This is mainly needed once the building is converted to Roosevelt Middle in 2026-27. Lastly, the media center was opened up in the center of the building in order to make more space for a “commons area” inside of high school main campus. This creates much-needed space within the building, which is among the top five in student enrollment in the state.

What big decisions await?

Finalizing bids for the building of the eighth elementary school in the district will be the biggest issue. Additionally, the district will finalize logos for Lake Wylie High School, Liberty Hill Elementary School and Roosevelt Middle School.

What else do parents and students need to know?

That the state has passed a new law regarding cell phone during the school day. Be prepared for more potential changes following the release of the state’s policy in the fall.

Fort Mill

Number of schools: 20

Projected students: 18,600

What’s new?

(No new schools) this year. We have two schools under construction for future years.

What big decisions await?

We will be implementing new rules for student cellphone use and other topics related to new state laws. More information regarding changes will be communicated directly to parents once the information is finalized.

What else do parents and students need to know?

As always, we ask parents to get their information directly from their student’s school, district office or official district communication channels.

Rock Hill

Number of schools: 22, plus the Applied Technology Center, Adult Education, Alternative Programs and the Virtual Academy

Projected students: 16,200

What’s new?

Nothing new for this year.

What big decisions await?

Teacher recruitment and retention is always a topic of conversation these days. We are doing as much as we can to treat all educators well.

Creating opportunities for students to experience success.

Implementation of the Leader In Me district-wide.

What else do parents and students need to know?

We are excited for the upcoming year.

York

Number of schools: 10

Projected students: 5,183

What’s new?

No new schools this year.

What big decisions await?

Bond referendum November 2024. Question will be posed to voters in the general election. For more information, see this infographic .

What else do parents and students need to know?

Students will not be permitted to access their cell phones during the school day. As such, we are implementing this from day one to create clarity and consistency regarding student expectations related to cell phone use during the school day.

Lancaster County

Number of schools: 22

Projected students: 15,200 (end of last year)

What big decisions await?

Lancaster County has a $588 million school bond on the general election ballot in November. It includes a new high school in Indian Land and upgrades throughout the district.

What else do parents and students need to know?

Registration, school supply and other information is available online here .

Chester County

Number of schools: 13 including Career Center and Adult Education, plus one district-sponsored charter school

Projected students: 4,500

What’s new?

Major construction projects from the summer include a new tennis facility at Chester Park Elementary complex and a new competition track at Lewisville High School. We are also beginning an expansion to Lewisville Elementary School.

What big decisions await?

Our board is in discussions regarding a potential bond referendum for the November 2024 ballot. They should have a final decision by Aug. 5.

What else do parents and students need to know?

We always ask that parents be patient with us for the first few days of school, especially when dropping off/picking up students, while we work things out. Parents should also be sure update their contact information in PowerSchool.

Note: The Lancaster County School District did not respond to a Herald request for information.