ANDERSON SCHOOL DISTRICT 4 IS GROWING FORWARD.

Unprecedented population growth in District 4 is the driving force behind our need to increase classroom space in our district.

Over 3000 single family homes, townhouses, and apartments are approved to be built in our community over the next few years. New developments in the Town of Pendleton and in the county are in various stages of development. Our research demographer, Dr. Dale Holden and Associates, presented models that expect more than 1,100 additional students before 2032, based on approved construction developments. And there are even more projects in the very early stages that will also affect our enrollment growth.

The Anderson School District 4 School Board is proactive in their efforts to identify facility needs. Currently, District 4 has room for new students; however, a quick drive around our community provides visual evidence of the increase we anticipate. Population growth at the same rate as the last two years—or at an accelerated rate—will force four of our schools to be at or above capacity by 2026-2027, if not sooner.

The administration recommended adoption of the 10 Year Facility Plan for Anderson School District 4 by the School Board on February 13, 2023. This plan includes:

• Conduct all deferred, current, and future building maintenance at all district facilities.

• 200-seat addition to Mt. Lebanon Elementary School – capacity increased to 780

• Cafeteria expansion at La France Elementary and Townville Elementary

• Build a New Pendleton High school on Boscobel Road property – 1500 student core, 1200 capacity (plans will be developed to add additions to increase classroom capacity to 1500 in the future)

• Convert the existing Pendleton High School to Riverside Middle School – capacity 1000

• Consider community partnerships for the current Riverside MS, moving the district office to Riverside MS, or other options.

• Athletic upgrade for Pendleton HS, including updating Cunningham Stadium, adding a new baseball/softball complex.

• Reconfigure grade attendance to K-5, 6-8, 9-12

• Adjust elementary attendance areas as needed.

The full cost estimate for the 10 Year Facility Plan - $148,366,780

Project estimate by facility:

• La France Elementary - $3,432,334

• Mt. Lebanon Elementary - $7,460,227

• Pendleton Elementary - $1,460,468

• Townville Elementary - $3,642,063

• Current Riverside Middle - $0

• Current Pendleton HS converted to Riverside Middle - $9,679,938

• New Pendleton HS - $114,534,103

• Athletic Upgrade - $7,972,250

• Transportation - $185,397

• District Office - $0

A new Pendleton High School will provide the district with the most student space to handle growth over the next ten years, and potentially beyond. The property for the new school is already owned by District 4 behind the current Pendleton High School on Boscobel Road, so no land purchase is necessary.

Having Riverside Middle School (RMS) and Pendleton High School (PHS) on the same campus will allow for shared programs and facilities, located in the center of the district. The current PHS would need no additional space for the near future if repurposed as RMS. This would allow District 4 to find other district and community uses for the oldest facility in the district—Riverside Middle School. Reconfiguring grade attendance to K-5, 6-8, 9-12 will provide additional space for growing enrollment at each District 4 elementary school and will provide 6th graders with an age-appropriate setting as they grow as adolescents.

• A 1 cent sales tax revenue. District 4 has been very conservative with this revenue since this tax was voted in by Anderson County residents.

• General Obligation Bonds. District 4 can issue bonds each year for no more than 8% of property value in the district. Many of the projects in this 10 Year Facility Plan can be completed using this method of funding.

• General Fund and Fund Balance.

• Referendum.

Over the last ten years, District 4’s enrollments for grades K-12 varied from a low of 2,676 for the 2020-2021 school year to a high of 2,922 for the 2022-2023 school year. At the high school level alone, enrollments have steadily increased from 829 in 2020-2021 to 880 in 2022-2023.

Projected enrollments for the district for the 2032-2033 school year, based on current growth patterns, show a 579-student increase in elementary schools (grades K-6), a 367-student increase for middle school (grades 7-8), and a 372-student increase at Pendleton High School (grades 9-12). District 4 must expand capacity as outlined in the 10 Year Facility Plan with a new high school, relocated middle school, and grade shifts for elementary schools in order to keep up with the growing population.

All options to deal with District 4 enrollment growth were considered based on current building capacity, research on enrollment projections, and the condition of each school facility. Deferred, current, and future maintenance items are in place for each facility for the 10 Year Facility Plan.

The options considered included adding mobile units to each school; building a new elementary school and converting Riverside Middle School to Pendleton Elementary School; additions at each school site; building a new middle school; building a new high school; adjusting elementary attendance areas; and reconfiguring attendance to K-5, 6-8, 9-12 to provide additional space at each elementary school.

These charts shows current enrollment for each school in the district, as well as anticipated enrollment within the next ten years.

The proposed building and upgrade program is a comprehensive 10 Year Facility Plan. If funding for this plan is approved by voters, many of the district’s anticipated capacity and facility issues will be addressed for the next decade. If population growth continues as expected, in 2030 the district would need to make a new assessment to examine future facility needs.

Anderson School District 4 is under contract with Craig Gaulden Davis Architects from Greenville, SC. District 4 is under contract with Thompson Turner Construction, a Construction Management at Risk (CM@R) company. The district, architects, and CM@R will work together to complete design and construct a new high school if approved by voters. We hope to have some design elements completed in the coming months.

District 4 can sell bonds and use the proceeds to fund building plan projects. Taxpayers then repay the bond debt over time through annual property taxes. In a bond referendum, registered voters in the district will decide whether to approve the sale of bonds. This vote will be held on November 7, 2023, at the usual polling places throughout the district.

Bond sales money can be used to renovate and build new facilities, to purchase new land, and to buy capital items like equipment and new technology. Bond money can’t be used for salaries, payroll, or fringe benefits.

District 4 plans for the sale of 25-year bonds, which will be issued over the next four years as needed to pay for the plan projects. Bonds will not all be issued at once.

Yes, 20% of the Local Option Sales Tax funds approved by voters will be used to reduce District 4 debt service. The district’s debt will be reduced each year.

The district will not be able to build a new Pendleton High School (PHS), will not be able to convert the existing PHS to Riverside Middle School (RMS), will not be able to repurpose the existing RMS for other district use, and will not be able to shift 6th grade students from each elementary school to RMS enrollment to create more elementary school enrollment space. The district will make limited upgrades and repairs to existing buildings using available funding. The most critical safety and maintenance upgrades will need to be completed with other funding sources.

The 1 cent sales tax does not generate enough revenue to construct new classrooms to address future needs. Since 2018, the 1 cent sales tax has funded numerous projects throughout the district. Anderson School District 4 has used these funds conservatively, maintaining a supplemental reserve to help offset some costs of necessary projects and upgrades outlined in the 10 Year Facility Plan. The list of completed projects funded by the 1 cent tax between 2018-2022 includes:

• Security Upgrades for all schools – Cameras, safety access doors

• Classroom Furniture Replacements for all schools

• Deceleration Lane, Turn Lane, Car Rider Loop, and Bus Loop Renovations

• Roof Replacements for several schools and the district office

• La France Elementary School Entrance Renovations

• La France Elementary School Playground Early Childhood

• Mt. Lebanon Elementary School Playground Upgrade

• Mt. Lebanon Elementary School Playground Drainage

• Mt. Lebanon Elementary School Walking Trail

• Riverside Middle School Fire Alarm Upgrade plus contingency

• Riverside Middle School Hardware Upgrades

• Riverside Middle School Plumbing and Electrical repairs

• Riverside Middle School Replace Overhead Core Slabs

• Riverside Middle School Replacements and Wall Repairs plus contingency

• Pendleton Elementary School Kitchen Expansion

• Pendleton Elementary School Playground

• Pendleton High School HVAC Project

• Pendleton High School Track & Field, Bleachers, Lighting

• Pendleton High School Practice Field

• Pendleton High School New Athletic Training Room

• Pendleton High School Renovated Media Center

• Pendleton High School Baseball and Softball Screening

• Townville Elementary School Septic Relocation

• Townville Elementary School Remove unsafe structures, Remove porta johns for games.

• Townville Elementary School Renovated Playground

• Replace Front Awnings – All Schools

• Fieldhouse Renovation, Title IX Issue includes mat lift.

• Pendleton High School’s new Greenhouse for Agriculture Program.

Shall the Board of Trustees of School District No. 4 of Anderson County, South Carolina (the “School District”) be authorized to issue and sell, either as a single issue or as several separate issues, general obligation bonds of the School District in the aggregate principal amount of not exceeding $115,000,000 the proceeds of which shall be applied to defray the costs (including architectural, engineering, legal and related fees) of any of the following:

1. Constructing, equipping and furnishing a new high school;

2. Constructing, equipping and furnishing improvements, renovations and additions at Mt. Lebanon Elementary School;

3. Constructing, equipping and furnishing improvements and renovations in order to convert Pendleton High School into Riverside Middle School;

4. Constructing, improving, equipping, renovating and repairing other school facilities; and

5. Acquisition of land for future school sites?

If the voter wishes to vote in favor of the question, select “Yes, In Favor of the Question”; if the voter wishes to vote against the question, select “No, Opposed to the Question.”

[ ] Yes, In Favor of the Question

[ ] No, Opposed to the Question

All persons qualified to vote in the school district. Every person offering to vote (a) must be at least 18 years of age on the date of the Referendum; (b) must reside in the School District; (c) must be duly registered on the books of voter registration for Anderson County by October 8, 2023; and (d) must present such documents and/or forms of identification as required by State law.

The last day persons may register to be eligible to vote in the Referendum will be October 8, 2023.

The polls shall be opened on November 7, 2023 from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m.

Voting will take place in the following polling locations:

Precinct 013 - Bishop’s Branch

Refuge Baptist Church

219 Refuge Rd.

Central, SC 29630

Precinct 024 - Denver-Sandy Springs

Sandy Springs Fire Station

740 Blackman Rd.

Pendleton, SC 29670

Precinct 027 - Five Forks

Mountain Springs Baptist Church East Campus

1109 Mountain Springs Rd.

Anderson, SC 29621

Precinct 029 - Fork No 1

Oakdale Baptist Church

6724 Hwy 24

Townville, SC 29689

Precinct 030 - Fork No 2

Double Springs Fire Station

2601 Old Dobbins Bridge Rd.

Townville, SC 29689

Precinct 043 - La France

La France Church of God

273 Old Anderson Rd.

Pendleton, SC 29670

Precinct 045 - Melton

Mount Able Baptist Church

130 Mt Able Church Rd.

Pendleton, SC 29670

Precinct 046 - Mt. Tabor

Zion United Methodist Church

5708 Hwy 187

Anderson, SC 29625

Precinct 053 - Pendleton

Pendleton Elementary School

902 E Queen St.

Pendleton, SC 29670

Precinct 064 - Three & Twenty

Three & Twenty Fire Station

1301 Three & Twenty Rd.

Easley, SC 29642

Precinct 066 - Townville

Townville Baptist Church

8816 Hwy 24

Townville, SC 29689

The early voting period for the Referendum begins on Monday, October 23 and ends on Saturday, November 4. Early voting will take place at the Anderson County Voter Registration and Elections Office located at 301 North Main Street, Anderson, SC 29621 during the early voting period from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday (closed Saturday and Sunday).

Register Online:

Click here for online voter registration: https://scvotes.gov/voters/register-to-vote/

• You must have a S.C. Driver’s License or DMV ID

• If you have moved, you must first update your residence address with the DMV https://www.scdmvonline.com/Driver-Services/Drivers-License/Address-or-Name-Change

Register by mail, email, fax:

Download voter registration form: https://scvotes.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/SEC-FRM-1301-202211-VR-by-Mail-web.pdf

Fax – 864-260-4203

Mail – 301 N. Main St.; Anderson, SC 29621

Email – acvote@andersoncountysc.org

Register in person: acvote@andersoncountysc.org

Anderson County Board of Voter Registration & Elections - 301 N. Main Street; Anderson, SC 29621

Update voter registration:

https://www.scvotes.org/update-your-voter-registration-information

Check my voter registration / Where do I Vote?

https://info.scvotes.sc.gov/eng/voterinquiry/VoterInformationRequest.aspx?PageMode=VoterInfo

Applications for registration to vote sent by mail must be postmarked no later than October 9th, 2023 to the Board of Voter Registration and Elections of Anderson County at 301 N. Main Street, Anderson, or delivered to the office of the same, on or before Friday, October 6th, 2023 at 5:00 pm.

Web Address for Absentee Ballots:

https://scvotes.gov/voters/absentee-voting/

Last day to request an Absentee Ballot by mail:

By law, all absentee ballots must be mailed to the voter. Absentee ballot request forms can no longer be accepted after Friday, October 27th. Voters may walk-in the day of October 27th to request a form and one will be mailed the same day.

Last day to return Absentee Ballot in person to Anderson County Voter Registration Office:

The last day to return an absentee ballot is the date of the election, November 7th, 2023, by 7pm, when the polls close.

Last day for Anderson County Voter Registration Office to receive completed Absentee Ballot by mail:

The last day our office can receive a completed absentee ballot is the date of the election, November 7th, 2023, by 7pm, when the polls close.