$90M bond referendum would ease overcrowding, school district says

YORK, S.C. — A $90 million bond referendum is on the table for a vote this November in York School District 1, which would pay for a new middle school and make room for new elementary school students who are coming to the area.

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Officials with York School District 1 said developers are currently adding more than 2,300 new homes to this area, which is impacting the school district.

Leaders here said must do something now to prevent overcrowding.

Resident Billieann Merritt said she sees new homes popping up all over the city of York.

“There’s so many. There’s so many,” Merritt said.

York District 1 Superintendent Kelly Coxe said York Middle School and Cotton Belt Elementary are at 90% capacity or above.

“We really, truthfully, need an elementary school and a middle school, but we know that will be a burden on our tax bases, so we are trying to go slow and pace this,” Coxe said. “We want to earn the respect of our community.”

In June, leaders agreed to put a $90 million bond referendum on the November ballot for the new school and renovations to one of the elementary school’s buildings.

“That renovation, we would turn that into early childhood to move 3- and 4-year-old programs to that school and create capacity at every one of our elementary schools,” Coxe said.

Taxpayers with a $100,000 home would pay an extra $36 a year in taxes.

Those with a $1 million business would pay an extra $945 a year in taxes.

Merritt said she doesn’t like the idea of higher taxes but is willing to pay them.

“I guess because my grandkids, because of my grandkids,” she said.

If citizens vote against it in November, district leaders said that could increase the number of students in each classroom, which could lead them to purchase mobile classrooms to accommodate growth.

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