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19 Oct, 2018
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October 27, 2018 2018-10-27T16:00:00 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM 836 Reynolds StreetAugusta, GA30901 Admission: Free to the...
Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2016 News 12 NBC 26 at 6 O’Clock
AIKEN COUNTY, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) — The new school year is almost here, but right here in Graniteville it’s all about next year.
“You’re excited as you ride by those schools and see the progress that they’re making in such a short period of time,” Dr. Shawn Foster said, Chief Officer of Operations and Student Services.
After 93 years there will be a new Leavelle McCampbell Middle.
Dr. Shawn Foster says it’s thanks to pennies.
“A lot of our areas have waited for renovations and additions and just having that one cent sales tax collection being where it is allows us to move some things up on our timeline,” Foster said.
Leavelle was one of those schools waiting and parents like Khisha Badger notice.
“The building is very, very old and they needed a new one,” Badger said, who had one child attend Leavelle and another a couple years from attending.
50 percent of the counties schools are 40 to 60 years old. Foster says unlike Leavelle there’s room to renovate those schools like North Augusta High.
“We have buildings with strong bones as I like to say, so there are some really strong foundational pieces if we can bring some of those buildings up to speed as it relates to our technology, infrastructure and those things,” Foster said.
The penny tax has moved many of these projects up. Just a year in and the county already has more than $21 million. With enrollment up, like a 7 percent increase in the Valley, the district needs to keep up.
“Having these buildings will allow us to house more students and hopefully attract the businesses to Aiken County to be a catalyst for economic development county wide,” he says.
People know it makes a difference for the kids too.
“It makes the kids want to go to school because they’re in a new building,” Badger says, “New facility, new attitude.”
The new Leavelle will be open for next school year and construction should finish late May, early June. Also Aiken and North Augusta high schools have started phase two of their additions with some of that work finishing next year. And this fall the planning stage for Ridge-Spring Monetta will begin as they look for suggestions from the community.
Source: News
October 27, 2018 2018-10-27T16:00:00 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM 836 Reynolds StreetAugusta, GA30901 Admission: Free to the...
October 25, 2018 2018-10-25T17:30:00 5:30 PM - 8:00 PM 103 Diamond lakes WayHephzibah, GA30815 706-821-1754 ...
September 29, 2018 2018-09-29T12:00:00 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM 836 Reynolds Street Augusta, GA30901 3rd Annual CSRA Food Truck Festival Saturday, September 29, 2018...