News 12 at 6 o'clock; May 13, 2008

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- Parents of closing Ehrhardt Elementary School in Ehrhardt trekked to Columbia Tuesday to talk with lawmakers and get their message across.

This all stems from an April 28th Bamberg School District One Board Meeting when parents found out Ehrhardt would be closing at the end of this school year. That means about 90 kids would be going to Richard Carroll Elementary School in Bamberg starting next year. That is a school with a history of mold.

That brings us to Tuesday, when News 12's Gene Petriello went along for a ride to Columbia to hear the parents' messages.

Parents frustrated over the closing of their kids' school just want to save their school and one very important thing, an honest answer.

Judy Harriett-Brandt is taking some serious steps to save her grand kids school.

"They are going about resolving a budget problem that is negatively impacting our children and not only our children in Ehrhardt, but obviously the children of Bamberg who would want to go to a school that meets AYP standard," says Judy.

The Bamberg parents have a choice of schools now because for the past three years, Richard Carroll hasn't met Adequate Yearly Progress, or AYP. Soon, that choice could be gone.

As the group of parents unloads for their first meeting with Senators, Judy's skeptical. "I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting when I came home," she said.

One Senator tells News 12, right now, all they can do is talk with the school board and get more information. That's all the information they gave us. In fact, our cameras weren't even allowed in any of Tuesday's meetings.

"Their motivation is a little different than ours. I'm encouraged they want to look at the budget," says Judy.

We also found out from the SC State Superintendent's Office that the state cannot override any local district school board's decision.

Some encouragement from their trek up the steps of the State Capitol to meet with a House Representative; a closed door, but much more upbeat, meeting.

"He is willing to step up to the plate and help us look for solutions," says Judy.

News 12 asked, "Do you think you're actually getting somewhere?"

Judy answered, "I really think we are. From where we started it was here one day and gone tomorrow (Ehrhardt Elementary) on April 28th."

So now, it's up to Judy and her team to get the attention of lawmakers, the school board and the people of Bamberg.

"Put yourself in our shoes and in that circumstance. What would you do? Given the facts, the fact this is a better school academically, it's a healthier school, the building is sound. Figures don't lie, liars figure. We just want the answering," says Judy.