JONESVILLE — The Jonesville-Lockhart Charter School effort will continue despite divisions within its executive committee.

The committee voted 4-2 Thursday to reject a motion by committee member Lance Miller that the effort to build a charter school in Union County be discontinued and the charter establishing the school be returned to the S.C. Public Charter School District. Miller's motion was seconded by committee member Mark Sanders with both men arguing that the effort to establish a charter school had failed due to a lack of funds and declining public support and student enrollment. They agreed that an alternative to the public school system in Union County is needed but that this effort had reached a dead end and should be discontinued until conditions change to where a new attempt could be made with a chance of success.

Committee members Shirley Cromer, Dawn Gault, Rhonda Lindler and Eddie Burnett rejected this, arguing instead to retain the charter so that a school could be built should money become available in the future. They pointed out that retaining the charter would put Jonesville-Lockhart in a position to quickly obtain any available funds and move forward with the acquisition of land, construction of facilities, the hiring of personnel and the enrollment of students. They felt that, given the need for educational reform in the county it would be wrong to give up the charter and force reformers to start from scratch.

Mrs. Cromer also pointed out that the S.C. Public Charter School District is getting a new superintendent in October, Dr. Wayne Bazell. She said Bazell has expressed an interest in meeting with the committee as soon as possible to discuss the needs of the local charter school effort.

The Jonesville-Lockhart Charter School initiative got underway in 2007 in response to the Union County Board of School Trustees' decision to close Jonesville High and Lockhart High schools and consolidate them into Union High School which was renanamed Union County High School. The effort got off to a good start with the organization of the committee; the taking out of an option on land for the proposed school in the Kelly-Kelton area between Jonesville and Lockhart; the selection of school colors; and the appointment of a principal. Some 800 children were signed up to enroll in the school.

The effort began to flounder, however, when funding for the facility fell through. This forced the committee to move back the opening of the school from 2008 to 2009. The inability to secure funding resulted in the loss of the option in Kelly-Kelton and the committee again delaying the operning of the school until 2010. Re-enrollment of students was also necessary after the first delay and fewer enrolled for the planned 2009 opening.

As for a 2010 opening Mrs. Cromer said that while sufficent public funding is unlikely, she is hoping to secure private funding.