Schools to reveal plans

Charleston County residents will be able to weigh in on the next phase of the school district's proposed building program by the end of March.

District officials plan to present a draft version of the plan to the board next month, and they plan to take that proposal to the public to gather feedback before asking the board to vote on a final version by June.

Board members don't yet know what will be included in the next building program or how they will pay for the construction, but they plan to make those decisions by summer.

Two of the financing options the board will consider involve raising taxes: a bond referendum or a sales tax hike.

One or both of the options could appear on voters' ballots in the fall.

In a workshop Wednesday, board members listened to officials' presentations on the district's academic priorities and the implications those have for district buildings.

For example, school leaders want to increase the number of pre-kindergarten classes, but some schools don't have space to do that, and would need mobile units temporarily and permanent space eventually.

Another of the priorities discussed was ensuring that each of the district's new geographic zones offers similar career and technology programs, which could necessitate renovations to existing buildings.

The board approved a plan last month that would divide the district into four areas and provide transportation for students who wanted to attend another school in their zone if it offered a program their school didn't have.

The district already has advanced design plans to replace aging and inadequate school buildings, such as Jennie Moore, Harbor View, Chicora and Stono Park Elementary, but the board also would like to address the district's athletic facilities.

Neither of the previous two building programs have addressed high schools' stadiums, tracks or fields, and the intention is to improve those in the next round of construction projects, said Bill Lewis, executive director of the district's building program.

School leaders emphasized the potentially harmful consequences of failing to pursue another building program. Lewis highlighted potential problems, such as finding temporary spaces for students to relocate during construction, an increased need for mobile classrooms, health and safety concerns, and higher construction costs.

The district's current $495 million building program will pay for projects through this summer, and board Chairwoman Ruth Jordan said members want to go ahead with another building program.

Superintendent Nancy McGinley told the board that its decision about this potential capital campaign was critical.

"We appreciate the weight of this decision," she said. "You need some time to digest what you've heard and weigh what are the options and what we will lose if we don't move forward."