Rock Hill schools weigh in on Octapharma funding spat jeopardizing 1,500-jobs deal

School officials in Rock Hill are asking elected leaders in the city to approve the controversial deal to bring Octapharma, with its 1,500 jobs and $1.5 billion investment, to the area.

The Rock Hill School District called a special meeting for Monday morning, where the school board voted 5-2 requesting that the city approve a tax incentive agreement for the Swiss biomedical company in line with what York County Council approved last week.

The contentious agreement has been publicly scrutinized after York County reallocated how revenue paid by Octapharma in the deal would be distributed among the city, county and school district. The county version last week would cost Rock Hill nearly $43 million over 30 years, compared to the initial version of the agreement.

That $43 million would instead go to schools.

The York County vote last week also would send more than $40 million of county money intended for economic development over the coming 40 years to the school district instead, to pay for capital costs.

Rock Hill had approved the incentive deal for Octapharma prior to last week’s funding changes. That approval was contingent on revenue distribution from the initial model. The city would have to vote again to approve the revised plan.

Octapharma creates medicine from plasma donations. The Rock Hill project would create a U.S. headquarters for the company in Palmetto Research Park, off Exit 81 of Interstate 77.

Octapharma would take 50 acres of the more than 200-acre site once intended for the Carolina Panthers to have their headquarters and practice facility. That deal fell through four years ago amid a disagreement between the city and town on public funding requirements.

This is a developing story.