Alternative school relocation debate turns emotional at Burke board

More than two hours of discussion over Burke County’s alternative school’s potential transfer of students to an independent wing of Draughn High School hit an emotional boiling point on Monday, drawing comments and concerns over student well-being during the Burke County Board of Education working session.

Burke County Public Schools (BCPS) Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan presented the controversial plan to the board following weeks of rumors and social media discussion.

At the center of the debate is a plan to move Hallyburton Academy, the district’s alternative school, into a separate wing of Draughn High School.

The current location is on Main Street in Drexel, in a school building developed in the 1940s and used for a variety of grade levels until the alternative school’s utilization. The board and administration have been discussing relocating the school to a wing of Draughn High School.

Hallyburton serves students in need of credit recovery, behavioral support, and day-treatment therapy.

For some in the community, the proposed move has raised concerns about student safety. School officials said those fears are based on misconceptions.

“Some of the comments that I’ve seen, Madam Chair, on Facebook, as far as what a Hallyburton student is,” Swan said, pointing to a slideshow photo depicting a Hallyburton student reading to an elementary schooler, “this is what a Hallyburton student is. Somebody that’s giving back to the community.”

Board Chair Tiana Beachler, who pointed out that she was an alternative school student before earning multiple degrees, clarified that Hallyburton students were not threats to the community and that alternative school students are in and out of regular high schools all the time.

“Would it be accurate to say that all four high schools have previous Hallyburton students walking their halls?” Beachler asked.

“Absolutely, 100%,” Swan responded. He also explained later in the meeting that some students are still at their districted schools, but haven’t met the criteria for being sent to Hallyburton yet.

“Can we clarify, for the record, the misconception in the community that these are school shooters?” Beachler asked. “I’m gonna go ahead and say it. We don’t have school shooters.”

“If someone made a credible threat to harm a Burke County Public School campus, it would probably be safe for me to say that we would do everything in our power to make sure that that student is not on any of our campuses,” Swan said before swinging around to check a noise in the audience like a teacher would a classroom. “Sorry? Somebody say something? Okay. I thought I heard something.”

Tensions reached a pinnacle later in the night when Beachler began discussing online commentary, referring to some comments calling Hallyburton students “circus animals.”

“I was put here to represent,” she said. “Not represent by zip code. Not represent by tax bracket, but all students. If I am not mistaken, our motto is ‘All in for all students,’ and I don’t feel that that has been represented. Not by this board in its entirety. Not by staff in its entirety. Not by this community in its entirety. It hurts because I’ve seen Hallyburton students saying, ‘Dang, this is what my community thinks about me?’”

After apologizing to students, staff, and administration for how they’ve been spoken to and about, she continued, the microphone distorting as she raised her voice. Audience members nodded along.

“You’re telling me that having a Hallyburton sign next to a Draughn sign is an embarrassment? I will not stand for that. If that costs me my election, then so be it. I am proud to lose that election.”

As she pushed away her microphone, she motioned for the next board member to speak, drawing a smattering of applause from the audience and some of the board.

The proposed relocation remains under discussion, with no final decision made. School leaders are expected to continue evaluating the plan as they consider both facility needs and community concerns.

For now, the debate has exposed a deeper divide over how alternative education students are viewed in Burke County, and what responsibility the community has to support them.