ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — The Orangeburg County School District is proposing changes to its facilities.
Those changes would include a new Lake Marion elementary school and middle school wing.
The district held a community input meeting in Holly Hill Tuesday night.
“Instead of closing all of the schools, there is a proposal and there is a way to close some with the input of the community, but not all five schools, that is unacceptable," said one Holly Hill resident.
The proposed plan would close four elementary schools in the eastern part of the district including Elloree, Vance-Providence, St. James-Gaillard, and Holly Hill in June 2024.
Some residents in Holly Hill were not happy with this proposal.
“We want a school here in Holly Hill. That was what we want and we can’t see why if you’re gonna build a school at Lake Marion why that school can’t be built here," said one resident.
A facility study done by the district found Elloree Elementary/Middle, Holly Hill Elementary, Holly Hill Roberts- Middle, and St. James Gaillard Elementary were in need of moderate to extensive repairs.
“I think that you can actually build an elementary school here, feasible for everybody, utilize the other buildings that need upgrading, take that money and pour it back into for the other renovations," said one community member.
If approved, the design phase of the school would begin this March. The groundbreaking would be in February 2023.
In August 2024, the new Lake Marion Elementary and middle schools would open.
The next community input meeting is Wednesday at Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School at 6:30 p.m.