Wade up to the chalkboard, Johnny, and solve that math problem. It's never dry. So I ripped it out. The carpet in so many schools has been ruined by the water that some schools prefer the bare concrete. In the Spanish classroom at James Island High, when custodians took up the carpet they found enough sand and dirt to fill a 5-gallon bucket.
Water is one of Charleston's greatest assets.
Between the rivers and the ocean, water has fed this harbor town's prosperity for centuries. But just as water is this town's lifeblood, it is also the root of all evil in the schools. With this location, with the beauty, comes a price. It is a price the Charleston County school system has yet to pay. The water will not stop coming, but the school district still pretends it will, replacing stained ceiling tiles without repairing the roof leaks that cause the stains, replacing wet, moldy carpet without stopping the water from coming in through the walls.