Chief Operations Officer Dr. Hopkins gave a construction and operations update that covered Roosevelt Middle School, Liberty Hill Elementary and Lake Wylie High School and asked the board to permit York Electric Cooperative to begin due diligence on a roughly six-acre parcel near Crowders Creek Elementary for a potential substation.

Facilities work reported

- Roosevelt Middle School: Dr. Hopkins said the district completed the Fine Arts wing (band, percussion, chorus), which is being used for summer instruction and ultimately will bring the campus’s arts facilities in line with other middle schools. The district plans minor site work including a short fence between the Roosevelt courtyard and Clover High School and additional branding/wayfinding and cafeteria seating upgrades. (Dr. Hopkins)

- Liberty Hill Elementary: Slabs-on-grade are complete, masonry is rising and the site team is resolving a localized rock/stormwater constraint near the bus parking area; the district said an engineering firm is evaluating alternatives before any blasting would be undertaken. The new school includes two-story elementary wings and a substantial play/courtyard area, staff said. (Dr. Hopkins)

- Lake Wylie High School: Steel erection is nearly finished, facades are going up, and some interior areas are drywalling and receiving casework. Contract Construction (the general contractor) remains on schedule for a July 1 substantial-completion milestone for teacher access; the district said final site work (curb/gutter/asphalt) will follow facades and interior trades. The district plans a steel “topping out” ceremony on Sept. 3. (Dr. Hopkins)

York Electric Cooperative parcel and due diligence approval

Dr. Hopkins asked the board to approve York Electric Cooperative’s request to begin due diligence and negotiate a sale price for a parcel of approximately six acres near the rear of Crowders Creek Elementary to site a substation. The district presented the cooperative’s design assurances and mitigation measures: a natural vegetative buffer around the fence (35 feet at the narrowest), a combination chain-link and solid security fence, compliance with electric utility design standards (NESE standards as presented), and noise estimates. District staff compared projected substation noise (presented by the utility as roughly 60–80 dB at 15 yards) with highway noise in front of the building (presented as roughly 70–80 dB at comparable measurement points) and noted the proposed substation location would be about 150 yards from the nearest corner of the school building while Highway 274 lies about 45 yards from the main office; staff said noise was not expected to be a factor. The board approved allowing York Electric Cooperative to proceed with due diligence and negotiate a purchase agreement; Dr. Hopkins said any eventual sale would require a later final board approval. (Dr. Hopkins)

Quote from the meeting

“The timeline for the substation would be completion in 2029,” Dr. Hopkins said while presenting the map overlay and design assurances.

Ending

Board members had no objection to allowing the cooperative to begin its due diligence; Dr. Hopkins said staff will return to the board if the district decides to accept a final offer for the parcel.