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Half-billion-dollar bond for schools in Lancaster County gets pushback

By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com
By Tina Terry, wsoctv.com

LANCASTER COUNTY, S.C. — Lancaster County voters will learn more Wednesday night about a half-billion-dollar bond referendum on the ballot. But 13 days before the election, some people are speaking out against it, including a retired school district official.

Bryan Vaughn actually helped research the plan and helped head up safety and transportation in the school district for years. He’s retired now, but he’s fired up about the bond proposal and is telling people to vote no.

“We knew that we had to keep that price tag down,” he said.

Vaughn said that was the mindset when district leaders first started researching a bond referendum.

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“I was really surprised when I saw the price tag come out that was $548 million. I looked at that and said, ‘Half a billion is unheard of,’” he said.

That proposed bond would pay for new schools, technology, and safety improvements all over Lancaster County, which is one of the fastest-growing counties in the state.

If it passes, someone with a $500,000 house and a $50,000 car would pay an extra $26 a month in taxes. That adds up to more than $321 extra per year.

“I was just in front of a woman who spent that much on weekly groceries,” Vaughn said.

Joseph Rwolinski said that’s a small price to pay when it comes to educating kids.

“How are we going get anywhere if we don’t have educated kids?” he asked.

But Vaughn and others said addressing growth and safety needs could be done without a tax increase.

“We don’t have to go out and rush and do this,” he said. “We need to pull it back, vote this bond down.”

On Wednesday, a spokesperson for the district sent a statement saying the board created a special committee that included community members, and they worked together to come up with the bond proposal.

There’s a bond information meeting at Indian Land Middle School on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

The full statement from the school district is below:

“The Lancaster County Board of Trustees created a facility needs committee composed of community members from throughout the county. The committee shared facility needs ideas from community members, and the community had the opportunity to respond to a facility needs survey in August 2023. The Lancaster County School District Bond referendum was developed based on the analysis of the committee’s recommendations and the survey results. The school bond addresses safety and security concerns across the county, growth, and renovations. We encourage all community members to inform themselves about the bond by visiting https://bit.ly/LCSDBondInfo.

“In the event the bond does not pass, Lancaster County School District will examine all needs and determine a plan for utilizing current funding to address those needs. We know there is a need for classroom space for students due to growth in the county which could be addressed with mobile classrooms and possible attendance zone restructure. Safety and security continue to be a top priority for the district. The district has applied for a safety grant and will continue to consider how to fund security upgrades.”

(WATCH BELOW: With growth in Lancaster County, leaders eye $588-million bond for schools)

With growth in Lancaster County, leaders eye $588-million bond for schools

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