Here’s what to know about Clover schools’ $197 million bond before you vote Saturday
The Clover School District is working this month to pass its largest bond.
The district’s bond referendum, totaling just under $197 million, would pay for a second high school, an eighth elementary school, and the creation of a third middle school.
Voters will decide on Sept. 18.
If passed, the bond would increase residents’ taxes.
Clover school district parents and officials have emphasized that the growing district needs more space. While, opponents have said that the need isn’t that dire.
Here’s what you need to know.
‘Much more involved’
The bond has become a point of contention in the Clover area.
Two vocal groups — one in favor, the other against — have placed “Vote Yes” and “Vote No” yard signs across the district, which includes Clover and Lake Wylie. At certain points, both groups have said on social media that their signs have been stolen.
Clover resident Brad Lessmeister has created two podcast episodes discussing the bond, which included representatives from both sides of the issue.
York County Auditor Aaron Seigler has witnessed the heightened interest. Seigler said he’s so far recalculated about 100 tax bills for people inquiring about the impact that the bond referendum would have.
“It seems like people are much more involved in wanting to find out information about this versus in the past when these things come up,” he said.
Why is the bond needed?
The district is growing — a lot. Parents on either side of the bond debate have agreed on that.
Clover school officials estimated about 8,570 students would be enrolled for the 2021-22 year. That number turned out to be more than 9,000. The district was forced to stagger start times this year after more than 1,000 students who hadn’t registered for buses showed up to ride on the first day.
The district’s enrollment, which has grown by about 250-300 students per year, pushes capacity and requires additional classrooms, officials said.
By 2025-26, Clover officials anticipate enrollment to reach nearly 10,000.
What’s in the bond?
The district’s new bond would pay for an eighth elementary school, a second high school, and the creation of a third middle school.
The new elementary school, proposed to open for the 2024-25 year, would alleviate congestion at Crowders Creek Elementary and Oakridge Elementary schools.
The district also would revert the Ninth Grade Campus, a separate school for freshmen, back to a third middle school, which is proposed to open for the 2025-26 year. District officials estimate Oakridge Middle School will reach 95% capacity by 2023-24 and Clover Middle School by 2024-25. The reversion would save taxpayers about $50 million since an additional building would not be necessary, district officials said.
And the second high school, proposed to open for the 2025-26 year, would be on the district’s property on Daimler Boulevard in Lake Wylie, officials said.
Several Clover district parents pushed for a second high school during a 2014 bond. However, projections at that time indicated an additional high school would not be necessary for 10 years. The 2021 bond would fall in line with those earlier projections, officials said.
“What we told our community was when we get to be about 2,300 at Clover High School, we need to be thinking about a second high school,” District Superintendent Sheila Quinn said during a recent town hall meeting. “We opened Clover High School this year with 2,667 students.”
The bond also would pay for renovations. Clover High School, which is South Carolina’s eighth largest high school, would be renovated to address maintenance issues in the stairwells, bathrooms, H-VAC systems and the cafeteria, district officials said.
Bethany Elementary School would be renovated to add science labs, additional classrooms, collaborative space, and a larger cafeteria.
The bond also would allow the district to construct a new innovation and technology center.
How much does it all cost?
Here’s a breakdown of the projects included in the bond:
- Second high school — $139,000,000
- Eighth elementary school — $36,000,000
- Conversion of the Ninth Grade Campus to third middle school — $2,000,000
- Clover High School renovations — $22,500,000
- Bethany Elementary School renovations — $2,500,000
- Technology and Innovation Center — $6,800,000
- Furniture, fixtures, landscaping, technology for all projects — $23,000,000
All projects would total about $232 million. However, officials said the district has transferred unspent money from its operating budget, which currently has about $35 million, to a capital projects account. The district would contribute that money to the bond projects, leaving the almost $197 million balance, officials said.
Will taxes increase?
District officials have given a formula to estimate how residents’ taxes would increase.
The bond would increase taxes approximately $10 a month — or $120 a year — for a $100,000 home, district officials said. If a resident’s home is $200,000, then it’s $240 a year. If a home is $300,000, it would be $360 a year.
The district estimates the bond would increase taxes on investment properties, cars and boats by $15 per month — or $180 a year.
“For us to say that there’s an exact number for everyone, unfortunately, there isn’t,” Clover resident Geoff Dubiski, who helped the district with its 2014 bond, said on a recent podcast. “Most everyone has somewhat settled in on agreeing it’s about 26% to 32%. Now, is that a small amount? Not by any means. I don’t mean to dismiss any increase in taxes being small. That’s roughly what it is.”
Seigler recently told The Herald there’s not necessarily an average tax increase as a result of the bond referendum. Clover has nine tax districts, so residents will not be impacted the same, he said.
“If they are in the city limits, they’re already paying higher taxes,” Seigler said. “Most tax bills that I’ve recalculated, if somebody is living within city limits, just due to the referendum is looking to increase somewhere in that 14% to 15% range.”
The increase is impacted by the millage rate, which is different for those who live in the city limits and those outside, Seigler said.
“If they are outside of city limits, they’re not paying the higher city taxes,” he said. “Even though it affects them the same way — this is just averages and estimates — but they’re looking at roughly 28%, 29%, 30% increase to their tax bill.”
What about the impact fees?
Earlier this year, the district started collecting impact fees on new residential development. The fees, which have already raised just under $1 million, are $4,000 on single-family homes, $1,976 for multi-family or town home units and $2,628 on mobile homes.
The district, which originally proposed a $15,000 impact fee on single-family homes, would use that money to reduce the overall amount borrowed for the projects, officials said.
If the bond is passed, Clover school would be allowed to borrow up to $197 million. School officials said the district would borrow the money in two or three separate draws. During the final draw, the district would utilize the impact fees accumulated at that point.
So, if the district plans to borrow all $197 million and on the final draw, $2 million have been collected in impact fees, the district would end up needing to borrow $195 million.
Capacity versus utilization?
The district’s main justification for the bond is that a good portion of its schools are nearing capacity.
But several Clover residents, including Lisa Feeley, have highlighted that the district is projecting 95% capacity in its schools of concern in the next couple of years — not 100% capacity now. Feeley, who spoke on the same podcast as Dubiski, has argued that the district should focus on utilization.
Feeley, who said she does not have children in the Clover district, pointed out that the district’s high school teachers have one planning period a day when students are not in the classrooms.
“What I’m wondering is do we have students that leave for internships?” Feeley said. “Do we have students that are absent? Do we have some smaller classrooms or larger classrooms? The way you do capacity utilization is how many people are really utilizing your space.”
Quinn said at the town hall meeting that the district focuses on program capacity, which not only considers how many students can fit in a classroom but how a room is used.
So, although not all classrooms, particularly in the high school, are being used at one time, there’s a reason, Quinn said.
“When things get really tight and really tough — and I’ve been one of these teachers — is when you have to start using the planning periods for classes,” she said. “Teachers have to leave that room and another teacher floats in on a cart. You teach in that class. Then, you float out and go to another class. We’ve had to do that in some places. ... We are not, at this point, scheduling that way and quite honestly, if we did, we probably would not keep the teaching staff that we have.”
Dubiski, whose daughter went to Clover High School, said the district’s need for additional space is about more than classrooms. With more students, there will also be a need for more parking and space for students to go when they’re not in class, he said.
“People are drawn to the Clover School District because of lower class size,” Dubiski said. “If we’re going to impact that sort of instructional support and the individual student success, I’m not really sure we’re willing — several people at least — to give up on the success of our students to try to quote unquote optimize the utilization of square footage.”
When, where and how to vote on the bond?
The polls will open Sept. 18 at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.
Absentee voting began on Aug. 19. In-person absentee voting ends Sept. 17 at 5 p.m. The last day to request by-mail ballots is Sept. 14. And by-mail ballots must be returned to the York County elections office, 6 S. Congress St., by Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
The bond is the only item on the ballot. There are two voting options on the ballot. Voters will be able to select “Yes, In favor of the question” or “No, Opposed to the question,” according to a sample ballot provided to The Herald.
This story was originally published September 13, 2021 at 3:13 PM.
