IRMO, S.C. — Lexington-Richland School District Five is looking for your feedback. They want to hear from parents, students, staff and teachers about their new five year rezoning plan.
Lexington-Richland School District Five, filled with 17,000 students, is set to be re-zoned in the next five years according to the district's superintendent Dr. Akil Ross.
Now it's just a matter of how it'll happen.
"We did a third party study of 3.7 million square feet and found that we have over $101 million of critical needs that were rated 1 and 2 priorities on that study," Ross said.
Ross said there are two options: to build new schools in Chapin and recognize the needs the district has in Irmo and Dutch Fork or to fix current buildings and rezone students into existing buildings.
Ross chose the latter and is proposing a bond referendum to do so. He explains the district is having growth issues at all levels in Chapin. Locals say they see this too.
"I think the infrastructure definitely could use help around here. There's a lot of people," Zachary Buck, former Lex-Rich5 student said.
"While this does impact the elementary and middle level, we maintain the high schools for 99% of the students. For that one percent, they are being rezoned from Dutch Fork to Chapin High School. We are working with families, because we understand how tough this is, to look at preferred choice options," Ross said.
Ross explains the district is focusing on workflow and workforce needs, conditions of facilities and shifting students.
As far as physical needs, Ross tells News 19 it ranges from needing doors fixed, plumbing issues, roofing, safety items, air quality, and HVAC work.
In order to pull this off, Ross tells News 19 the district has to borrow more than their allowed 8% available money, which translates to borrowing $240M to pay back over 20 years.
"Part of fixing that facility at Dutch Fork High School is putting in digital solutions and AI labs to help those students. At Chapin, it's to round out their instructional programs with fine arts and a fine arts theater. With Irmo High School, it's to put in a small business incubator to help students with entrepreneurial skills," Ross said.
Voters will have to decide in November of this year whether or not they want to pass this bond referendum.
If it does pass, the district said it will shift in the 2025-2026 school year and be fully implemented in the 2026-2027 school year.
If it doesn't, Ross said the district will rezone without fixing facilities and adding new programs. The district explains they hope to finalize the re-zoning plan by April 22, 2024.
If you'd like to give your feedback to the school district about this re-zoning plan, you can email them at 5yearplan@lexrich5.org.