CANUP, WILLIAM SHANE, M.A. The Geography of Public-Private School Choice and Race: A Case Study of Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee Counties, South Carolina. (2015) Directed by Dr. Corey Johnson. 145 pp. This thesis analyzes the geography and history of public-private school choice, with particular concern to race, in a historically significant area where the first legal steps were taken to end segregation in public schools. The purpose is to identify how legacies of segregation have affected and continue to affect public-private school choice in area high schools today, examine which socioeconomic factors appear to most affect this choice, and determine the extent to which public schools in the study area reflect the racial demographic characteristics of their surrounding communities. To accomplish this, inquiry into the history of school segregation in the South, the emergence of private “segregation academies” during the era of integration, as well as contemporary trends in school choice are explored. Racial enrollment statistics from public and private schools are also compared to that of their attendance zones and surrounding areas. This research found that legacies of segregation likely continue to influence public- private school choice today, and that race and income also appear to be the socioeconomic factors that most affect whether families in the study area choose public or private school for their high school-aged children. It was also found that a significant disparity exists in the study area when comparing the racial demographic composition of private schools, public schools, and their surrounding communities. THE GEOGRAPHY OF PUBLIC-PRIVATE SCHOOL CHOICE AND RACE: A CASE STUDY OF SUMTER, CLARENDON, AND LEE COUNTIES, SOUTH CAROLINA by William Shane Canup A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of The Graduate School at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts Greensboro 2015 Approved by _______________________________________ Committee Chair © 2015 WILLIAM SHANE CANUP APPROVAL PAGE This thesis written by WILLIAM SHANE CANUP has been approved by the following committee of the Faculty of the Graduate School at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Committee Chair _____________________________________ Dr. Corey Johnson Committee Members _____________________________________ Dr. Selima Sultana ______________________________________ Dr. Jeffrey Patton ______________________________________ Date of Acceptance by Committee ___________________________________ Date of Final Oral Examination ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to many for their assistance and support – not only in the completion of this thesis, but in all aspects of my life that have enabled me to devote the time and effort necessary to reach this goal. A simple “thank you” does not suffice for the endless love and assistance provided to me by my parents, Debbie and Scott. I am extremely fortunate to have parents that have always supported me in my interests, whatever they may be. The sacrifices you have made in order to provide for me the opportunity to pursue higher education have not gone unappreciated. I hope I’ve made you proud. Thank you to my advisor and committee chair, Dr. Corey Johnson, who devoted his valuable time and effort into the improvement of this thesis, as well as the improvement of myself as an academic. It is a privilege and an honor to be the first student you have advised and chaired. Additional thanks go to my thesis committee, Dr. Selima Sultana and Dr. Jeffrey Patton, for their time, and to Lois Carney for her assistance and organization. I owe special thanks to my girlfriend, Rebecca Chandler, whose encouragement, compassion, and patience was essential – thank you for putting up with me. Thank you also to Martha and Ed Fitchett for your continued support. There are many others that deserve thanks – Megan Grigg for her assistance, Dr. Keith Debbage for his time and insight, Dr. Jason Silverman for his inspiration, and, finally, to countless family members and friends that have remained supportive. Thank you all. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES.......................................................................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES...................................................................................................................................................... vii CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................... 1 II. OVERVIEW OF STUDY AREA........................................................................................................... 4 III. LITERATURE REVIEW AND HISTORICAL BACKGROUND............................................... 14 3.1 Geography of Education................................................................................................ 14 3.2 Public-Private School Choice....................................................................................... 16 3.3 A History of School Segregation in South Carolina............................................ 24 3.4 Segregation Academies.................................................................................................. 37 IV. ANALYSIS OF SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS................................................................................ 61 4.1 Public School Performance.......................................................................................... 61 4.1.1 South Carolina High School Report Card Data................................. 62 4.1.2 SAT and ACT Performance........................................................................ 68 4.2 Private School Performance........................................................................................ 73 4.3 Additional Performance-Related Factors.............................................................. 75 4.4 Analysis of School Choice by Public School District.......................................... 84 4.4.1 Lee County....................................................................................................... 88 4.4.2 Clarendon School District 1...................................................................... 93 4.4.3 Clarendon School District 2...................................................................... 98 4.4.4 Clarendon School District 3................................................................... 103 4.4.5. Sumter County............................................................................................ 108 4.4.6. Sumter, Clarendon, and Lee Counties.............................................. 126 V. CONCLUSION.................................................................................................................................... 131 REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................................... 135 APPENDIX A. MAPS.............................................................................................................................................. 145 iv LIST OF TABLES Page Table 2.1. Median Household Income (MHI), 1950-2010 (Inflation Unadjusted)......................... 7 Table 2.2. Population of Study Area Counties, 1950-2010....................................................................... 9 Table 2.3. Population of Study Area Counties by Race, 1950-2010................................................... 11 Table 2.4. Population of Study Area Counties by Race (Percentage), 1950-2010....................... 11 Table 4.1. Public High Schools in the Study Area....................................................................................... 62 Table 4.2. Public School SAT Participation, 2009-10............................................................................... 69 Table 4.3. Public School SAT Performance, 2009-10............................................................................... 70 Table 4.4. Public School ACT Participation and Performance, 2010................................................. 72 Table 4.5. Private School SAT Performance, 2009-10 and 2013-14................................................. 75 Table 4.6. Student-Teacher Ratio in Area Schools, 2009-10................................................................. 76 Table 4.7. Percent Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch in Public Schools, 2007-08................... 78 Table 4.8. Percent of Public High School Completers Entering Junior or Senior Colleges, 2007.................................................................................................................................. 78 Table 4.9. Public School Teacher Turnover Rate, 5-Year Average, 2006-2010............................ 79 Table 4.10. Beginning Teacher Salary by Public School District, 2007-08 and 2013-14......... 80 Table 4.11. Wealth (Fiscal Capacity) Per Pupil by Public School District, 2007-08................... 81 Table 4.12. Operating Expenditures Per Pupil by Public School District, 2007-08.................... 82 Table 4.13. Tuition and Fees for Private Schools in the Study Area, 2013-14.............................. 83 Table 4.14. Public-Private School Choice in Lee County School District, 2010.............................92 Table 4.15. Lee County School Enrollments for Selected Years, 1966-2013................................. 92 Table