Bond referendum will be held

In a historic decision Tuesday, the nine Aiken County Board of Education members unanimously agreed to call for a $236 million bond referendum that would target six schools for new construction off-site or for rebuilding onsite.

The bond election will be held Tuesday, May 25 - the first referendum in more than 30 years. That successful election led to the construction of Silver Bluff, South Aiken and Midland Valley High schools.

The new proposal calls for a focus on six schools - Aiken High School, North Augusta High, Leavelle McCampbell Middle School, Ridge Spring-Monetta Elementary/Middle School, Jackson Middle School and the Aiken County Career and Technology Center. The new construction would come at a cost to taxpayers - approximately an $118 increase in property taxes annually per $100,000 value of an owner-occupied residence.

Actually, three additional schools would be impacted by a successful bond referendum. The board agreed to seek a total of $9 million for additions to the Career Center and $3 million each for career-based improvements to Wagener-Salley and Ridge Spring-Monetta High.

RS-M High also would become part of a K-12 campus with the move of RS-M Elementary/Middle School to the high school site.

The board members disagreed on the facility choices only regarding Jackson Middle School. The majority agreed with a district a dm in strati on recommendation, voting 6-2 to move both Jackson and New Ellenton Middle Schools to a new site on the Silver Bluff High School campus. Board member Levi Green, who represents much of Area 5 and those schools, abstained from voting on that specific issue before voting on the call for a referendum.

Jackson Mayor Todd Etheredge had urged board members to keep the community's only school. He expressed disappointment at the board's decision and thanked board members Wesley Hightower and Richard Hazen for supporting the town's position.

However, New Ellenton Mayor Vernon Dunbar and other residents were pleased by the action to build a new school next to Silver Bluff. He acknowledged that New Ellenton Middle School is likely to be closed eventually anyway because of shrinking enrollment.

"We want be sure our students get the fairest chance of success," Dunbar said.

Aiken High will be mostly rebuilt on-site, while North Augusta High will get a new school at a site to be determined. Leavelle McCampbell will also will get a new school next to the new Byrd Elementary School.

During public participation, board members got enthusiastic support for the referendum from two speakers, parent Will Callicott and businessman Barry Adams.

"It's important that you hear publicly a positive point of view," said Callicott. "There's more support out there than perhaps you know."

Students who see the 21st-century schools in other districts throughout the state must be dismayed to see the schools in their own county, he said.

"There's a window here to demonstrate that we do care," Callicott said.

Adams no longer has any children in the school system, but wants school facility upgrades in part as a way to attract new industry. In in today's economic environment, he said, this is a perfect time for a bond issue such as this one.

"Recessionary times are difficult on everyone," Adams said. "But we have been afforded an opportunity which we may not see again for many decades. Interest rates and construction costs are the lowest many of use have seen in our lifetimes."

If Aiken County waits until the recession is over, the interest rates and construction costs will return to normal levels, said Adams. The cost of funding such a project would increase by millions of dollars.

"I can't wait for this," said Adams. "I'm confident that in a few short years, we will realize this was our time of opportunity."

School Board attorney Bill Burkhalter provided an overview of why a bond referendum became necessary. Following the opening of the three high schools in 1980, the Board of Education introduce a five-year build ling program. The trustees were able to issue bonds of $12 million to $14 million ever year for cyclical maintenance and new construction needs. That amount didn't exceed the state-mandated limit of eight percent of the value of assessed property in the county

"We can't do that anymore with eight percent money," said Burkhalter. "That's the reason we wold have to go into a bond referendum."

The discussion on the status of Jackson and New Ellenton Middle Schools centered in part on money - $12 million to renovate Jackson and move New Ellenton students there or $24 million to move students from both schools to a new facility. Maintaining a renovated Jackson in the community could save money to put back into operations, Hightower said.

"If we can renovate Aiken High, why not renovate Jackson," he said. Hazen agreed, maintaining that the district could build a great new facility at the existing school.

However, board member Keith Liner said a new school at Silver Bluff would provide more opportunities for the students, who could enter the high school with more academic credits.

The district will look at exit strategies for both existing schools, said board member Donna Wesby. The new school would increase student achievement, she said.

"The board took the advice of the administration," said Todd Etheredge, "and ignored the savings to the taxpayers. The payback for that additional $12 million will take 50 years. We're very disappointed. New Ellenton and Jackson will lose a school, There's no clear-cut avenue as to will go into those schools."

Dunbar, the New Ellenton mayor, admitted his first reaction was to oppose consolidation with Jackson at either location. Just a few years ago, parents and other community residents made that position clear to School Board members.

But with the enrollment hovering around 200 students, said Dunbar, parents have realized that with budget cuts, the school is likely to close anyway.

"We had to come to grips with that," he said. "We'll have an empty building, too, and hopefully we can put some other programs in there."

Contact Rob Novit at rnovit@aikenstandard.com.