In recent years, people across the nation have found the love for warmer weather. This has led to the increase of people from around the country moving to the region we know and love called the “Sun Belt.” This migration has caused the increase of population in our Horry County.

Horry County has been rated the second fastest growing metropolitan area in the United States. This growth has had a domino effect in trying to create the new needed infrastructure to support this boom in people.  The influx of people has severely affected the Horry County School District. This has created an increase of students and the need for innovative ways to support the rising population.

As the number of houses grows in Horry County, so has the number of children in the school system. This has increased with some new schools being built in recent years such as Ten Oaks Middle, Myrtle Beach Middle, St. James Middle, SOAR Academy, Socastee Middle and Socastee Elementary. Horry County Schools is still struggling to keep up with the ever growing student population even with the new schools being built. Once a school is built, it is already at capacity. This is becoming a trend because many of the schools are becoming “red zoned” due to the student population reaching over 95% capacity.

There are plans to build several elementary schools in the county. One of the schools will be South Conway Elementary School. This school is one of the oldest in the county and needs to be updated.The new school is being relocated close to Whittemore Park Middle. The county needs to find it in the budget to continue building schools. 

 Mrs. Roberts, a 4th grade teacher at South Conway Elementary added , “We have been on the list of schools to be built in the district due to being one of the oldest, but with the growing population elsewhere, our building date keeps getting pushed to the future as other schools need to be built because of overcrowding.” 

Many schools have received portable classrooms to elevate the never ending increase in student population and for being over building capacity. Portable classrooms have been added to many of the Horry County Schools to increase more classroom spaces to house students.

At Carolina Forest High School, a new portable arrived this semester, now referred to as H-house, to ease overcrowding in high school classrooms. This building has eight  classrooms and its own bathroom. Portables are also just a quick fix and not the solution for the growing student population in Horry County Schools. 

Mrs. Devin Weeks, an administrator at Carolina Forest stated, “It’s exciting because this addition has helped create more classrooms for our ever-growing staff. We still have several teachers floating, but it is a step in the right direction towards providing permanent spaces for our teachers and students.” 

Yes, Horry County has beautiful weather, great beaches, and many activities, but it cannot keep up with its ever growing population. The schools are suffering. While people are migrating to this part of the country, builders, politicians and planners need to think about the infrastructure of Horry County. The great people of Myrtle Beach can only hope things will change or this will be a place people will not want to migrate to due to its overcrowdedness and poor school system. There is plenty of room for improvements and growth, but Horry County needs a plan of action. The people of this county must focus on the infrastructure or the county will be doomed.