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The Barnwell County School District (BCSD) is currently in negotiations over land for a new county-wide high school and career center.
At their September 10 special meeting, the BCSD board unanimously approved a motion giving superintendent Dr. Crissie Stapleton the authority to "proceed with property transactions discussed during executive session, with information being made available to the public once the transactions have been completed," according to the motion.
“We are trying to move as quickly as possible because the board wants to start the process with the Office of School Facilities (OSF),” said Stapleton following the meeting. She said they must have a purchase agreement in place with the property owners before the State Department of Education’s OSF can come to the property to see if it fits the qualifications for a school.
Though the board did not identify details of the land at the special meeting, per advice of their attorney, they previously discussed the property at their work session on September 6. During that session, the board identified an 88-acre tract of land on Highway 37 near Highway 278 as the ideal neutral spot to construct a new high school and athletic campus. They also discussed a 63-acre property, which is next to the 88 acres, as a spot they want to locate a farm and arena.
“This is a great opportunity for the whole county,” said board member Becky Huggins at the Sept. 6 session.
While no location will please everybody, “we’ve done our due diligence and found the best central location we can come up with,” said board member Dr. Andy Sandifer at the Sept. 6 session.
The decision to pursue property comes after months of discussion on the location of a new school. The board was given four concepts from the architect/engineering and construction management at-risk services firms helping the district. Three involved the current Barnwell High School (BHS) site while the other would find a neutral location. After weighing the pros and cons of each option, the board decided a neutral site was the best path forward to create a new learning space for all of Barnwell County’s high school students.
Building a new school on a neutral site is estimated to cost $134,953,805. The cost for the arena and farm is estimated to cost $13,578,085.
The district has $120 million in funding available, including $105 million from the Savannah River Site plutonium settlement, $10 million in funds received for the career center, and $5 million recently given by State Superintendent of Education Ellen Weaver.
To cover the remainder, Stapleton said there are options to look at, such as an overage of $10.5 million from their fund balance, interest on the money they have (estimated $5 million in year one), municipal grants for utility costs, USDA grants, and industries possibly helping with equipment for the career center programs.
