SCDOT presented US 278 options: Which ones can Beaufort County, HHI actually afford? With a March 31 deadline approaching, Beaufort County and the Town of Hilton Head must choose between six viable options for the U.S. 278 Corridor project or risk losing over $120 million in funding.

With a March 31 deadline approaching, Beaufort County and the Town of Hilton Head must choose between six options for the U.S. 278 Corridor project or risk losing over $120 million in funding.

Read more @islandpacket.bsky.social: www.islandpacket.com/news/local/t...

Ohio-based academy hopes to pull young Hilton Head students into daytime Bible classes Students as young as 6 at Hilton Head Elementary could leave school for Bible classes this spring — with parental consent. A new program sparks debate over church and state boundaries.

But each South Carolina school district does have the authority to deny authorization for released-time religious instruction, according to state Department of Education spokesperson Jason Raven.

Read more @islandpacket.bsky.social: www.islandpacket.com/news/local/e...

When directly asked if Beaufort County had the discretion to approve or authorize LifeWise’s program, and whether the district could order the program discontinued if it felt the need to do so, district spokesperson Bruder did not answer, instead repeating that it was a “legal opt-in” program.

Ohio-based academy hopes to pull young Hilton Head students into daytime Bible classes Students as young as 6 at Hilton Head Elementary could leave school for Bible classes this spring — with parental consent. A new program sparks debate over church and state boundaries.

The district has maintained that it cannot formally support or oppose the program. It is unclear if the district already has a policy regarding released time instruction, hasn’t researched state law or is intentionally trying to stake a neutral position in a potentially controversial area.

LifeWise’s arrival into communities has not gone without controversy. While supporters argue the program strengthens students’ character and mental health, some others have spoken out about blurring the lines between church and state.

The program will allow students, with parental consent, to leave campus for one hour a week during non-instructional times to attend classes at Hilton Head Presbyterian Church, which is across the street from the school.

An eight-week pilot program for first- and second-grade students at Hilton Head Island Elementary School will begin in March and be administered by LifeWise Academy, a rapidly expanding organization that says it has enrolled students from nearly 600 schools across 29 states.

An Ohio-based academy specializing in Bible-based instruction plans to expand into Hilton Head this spring with a program that would enable students as young as 6 to leave school grounds during lunch and recess for classes at a local church.

Beaufort County has new CFO who promises to tackle transparency issues after Greenway-era Pinky Harriott, former USCB finance leader and county budget director, returns as Beaufort County’s CFO to address transparency and rebuild trust in the county’s financial operations.

Beaufort County's new CFO promises to tackle transparency issues after Greenway-era.

“There’s no secret here,” Pinky Harriott said. “The past year-and-a-half has been horrible.”

Read more: www.islandpacket.com/news/politic...