Residents in nearby Lancaster, York and Chester counties will decide whether to approve nearly $1 billion in bonds combined across three school districts’ ballot referendums.
The bond referendums would fund projects in the Lancaster County School District, the Chester County School District and York County School District No. 1.
They represent the most significant school bond initiatives on ballots in the Charlotte region, in addition to a $39 million bond package in Union County.
Here’s a look at each bond initiative:
Lancaster County Schools
The largest of the three is the Lancaster County School District’s $588 million bond proposal.
The lion’s share of that would go toward building out four new schools — a 2,000-student high school and a 1,200-student elementary school in Indian Land; a 1,200-student elementary school in Lancaster; and a 1,000-student elementary school in Kershaw.
Those four projects total $478 million, according to project breakdowns on the district’s website. The new facilities would help the district better handle growth at existing facilities that are nearing capacity. The Indian Land community, for instance, only has six schools serving more than 7,000 students, the district says.
The remainder of the bond money would fund renovations at schools around the district, 14 new buses (10 full-size and four smaller buses), and new weapons detection and camera systems for all schools.
If approved, the bond would increase property taxes on a $300,000 owner-occupied home with a $30,000 car by $16.10 per month. You can see a full breakdown of the tax impact here.
Chester County Schools
The Chester County School District is seeking $227 million to fund two new high schools that would replace existing schools and renovate the existing Great Falls High School.
The district would build all-new Chester and Lewisville High Schools, meant to provide a more updated and secure facility than the existing Chester High School and to address capacity concerns at the existing Lewisville High School.
The bond would cover $99 million of the $106 million Chester High School project with the rest funded by the district’s capital funds. It would cover $100 million of the total $109 million Lewisville project.
Great Falls High School would see significant additions — including a new athletic and music wing, a 1,200-seat competition gym, a new vestibule and four new science rooms. The bond would cover the whole $27 million project.
If approved, the bond would increase property taxes by $230 on every home valued at $100,000 and $34.50 on every car worth $10,000.
York County School District No. 1
In York County, residents will decide whether to approve $90 million in bonds for York County School District 1.
That funding would go toward a new middle school and renovations that would also fund expansions and renovations at Pinckney Street Learning Center/York One Academy to equip it to become an early childhood center. It would include programming for 4-year-olds, with a Montessori program and those for students with disabilities.
The district says several facilities are nearing capacity, including the existing York Middle School.
If approved, owners of homes valued at $100,000 would see a property tax increase of $36 per year. A full tax breakdown can be found here.
