School Mergers and the 2019 Abbeville County Consolidation

Thomas Histon 

While school mergers are often essential in order to create a sustainable budget or a fair, equitable educational environment, the closure of existing schools can mean significant losses to a community. In South Carolina’s history, this issue was felt most deeply during desegregation, when deep injustices were addressed by merging school populations. This was a period of conflict and unrest within our state, and even some who celebrated these changes felt grief about the closure of beloved African-American schools that were part of community life. This historical context can help us understand the complex impact of school mergers and closures. Decisions about school mergers must carefully weigh the costs and opportunities, an issue that emerged in the debate over a 2019 proposal to merge Abbeville and Dixie High Schools in Abbeville County, SC. These two schools are located in different communities and enroll different populations, and the ultimate failure of this proposal demonstrates how challenging school mergers can be. 

• Thomas Histon is a senior history education major from Greenville, South Carolina. He is a member of the Honors College and both Kappa Delta Pi and Phi Alpha Theta honors societies, and he worked for the Housing Department as a Resident Assistant.