What Lancaster County residents have to say about contentious $588M school bond vote
Lancaster County has more than $1 billion worth of bond questions on its ballot this November. The county could have the most contentious contest in the region, too, with a $588.2 million school bond referendum.
In-person and online sentiment on the school bond is easy to find. There’s been a public back-and-forth for months debating it. The school district held community forums. Social media groups formed to promote or oppose it.
Proponents say it’s best for students, helping with overcrowding in places like Indian Land and renovations in other areas. Opponents say the price is too high, plans aren’t fully developed and the bond focuses too heavily on the panhandle.
The school bond would build a new high school in Indian Land, three elementary schools countywide and renovations to aging school or athletics facilities.
Here’s how several Lancaster County residents and experts see the school bond issue:
▪ Indian Land resident Angi Davis is a firm “yes” vote. The daughter of a teacher, Davis now has two of her own kids and is chairwoman of the Vote Yes Lancaster School Bond group.
“I’m always invested,” Davis said. “That’s how I grew up. We take care of education.”
It’s been eight years since the last bond vote, and schools are crowded, she said. Supporting the bond will give Indian Land students space while upfitting older sites in southern Lancaster County. Home values, teacher retention and community morale all would increase with a successful bond, Davis said.
She understands the bond is large, but sees the high price tag as necessary for a district facing to many growth pressures.
“You don’t want to live in a stagnate area where there is no growth and income,” Davis said. “Growth is good, but we have to stay ahead of it instead of constantly being behind it.”
▪ Clayton Bradshaw came to Indian Land a decade ago.
“I do lean ‘no’ but that is a loose ‘no,’” Bradshaw said. “I just want make sure the numbers make sense so that we’re planning property for our kids’ future and beyond.”
Bradshaw has problems with the $218 million projected cost for a new high school in Indian Land. He sees a “perfect apples to apples” comparison in the newly opened Ballantyne Ridge High School just north of Indian Land, in Charlotte. Bradshaw questions why that school is the same size, has capacity for 500 more students and cost $60 million less than the projected Indian Land school.
“One thing we want to make sure, is if we’re going to trust the school district with half a billion dollars, that that money is going to be spent cost-effectively,” Bradshaw said.
▪ Matt Goebel did the math and found the tax increase on his home and other property from the bond would be less than $300 a year. The father of three believes the bond makes sense. It’s also a relatively small rate increase compared to past bonds, he said, due to increased property value and community changes the past eight years.
“And you have more people contributing to the pot,” Goebel said.
Well-funded education can improve academic performance, student engagement, teacher retention, economic growth and property values, he said.
“There is a byproduct that’s passed down because of schooling,” Goebel said.
▪ Bryan Vaughn is a hard “no.” He spent 30 years working for the school district, most recently in communication and transportation. The district has a far greater capacity need at the elementary and middle school levels, he said, than it does for a new high school.
“It’s lost its focus,” Vaughn said of the bond proposal. “It’s lost its scope.”
Vaughn posted many of his reasons for not supporting the bond on the Lancaster Vote No School Bond group on Facebook. An administrator for that group referred questions for comment to Vaughn.
The initial intent was for a bond that met the most immediate needs throughout the county, he said. In a climate with high inflation and high taxes, this bond goes too far, Vaughn said. “It wasn’t a Christmas shopping list,” he said of initial bond discussions. “It wasn’t a want list, a wish list. It was a list of things we needed.”
▪ Frank Mulgrew moved to Indian Land four years ago, with years of experience in higher education. That experience includes building for growth. His initial reaction to the Lancaster County bond was a “no.”
“I saw the first price tag and I went, ‘wow,’ ” Mulgrew said. “And so I had an immediate reaction.”
He believes people like him can support students and teachers without blindly approving any bond put in front of them.
“What’s the limit there?” Mulgrew asked. “Why wouldn’t we spend $500 million on the high school? There’s a limiting principle here, and so we’re asking for, what’s the fiscal prudence? This doesn’t seem fiscally prudent.”
The cost of a new high school in Indian Land is a significant barrier for him. “I’m open to a yes. It’s just that I haven’t seen the evidence that this is well-managed money for the taxpayers,” Mulgrew said.
What happens if the bond fails?
As district chief financial officer, Jatana Norris doesn’t advocate for or against the bond. She does plan for what will happen with or without its approval.
If the bond doesn’t pass, the third-fastest growing county in South Carolina will have several options.
More mobile units are likely, possibly in parking lots or playground space at schools, she said. The district could look at attendance line changes to distribute student counts across its facilities.
Neighboring districts like Chester County and the Clover district in York County have followed “no” votes in recent years with new, smaller bond proposals.
“If the bond doesn’t pass, that doesn’t mean the growth is going to stop,” Norris said.
How to find out more info on Lancaster County school bond
The Lancaster County School District has information online. There’s a link to community forums held in Buford, Indian Land, Kershaw and Lancaster. A bond referendum page has a range of details, including a calculator residents can use to see what their costs would be if the bond passes.
Other online options are the Vote Yes Lancaster School Bond group and Lancaster Vote No School Bond group on Facebook.
What’s on the ballot?
The school bond question appears on the ballot along with another one for Lancaster County voters, asking for a $405 million transportation tax. Use these links to view exact wording on the school bond referendum and the road tax referendum.
There’s a follow-up to the road tax question, related to how the county could finance road jobs if the first vote passes. Here’s that additional road tax question.
Voters also can see their sample ballots, featuring both questions, by entering their information at scvotes.org.
This story was originally published October 25, 2024 at 5:50 AM.
