Lexington County committees voted to stop sending the existing school‑district questionnaire that has been part of the county’s concurrency review process, following an extended and sometimes heated discussion about how the questionnaire is used and whether it creates legal or policy problems.

Under the county's current concurrency practice, sketch plans and preliminary site plans are routed to fire, EMS, solid waste and the sheriff for a 20‑day review; the county also sends a questionnaire to local school districts asking them to evaluate capacity impacts. During the meeting county staff described recent changes: staff now requests additional development timing and phasing information from applicants to give school districts more lead time.

Several council members and staff said the questionnaire can produce inconsistent results because school districts use different methodologies, and some school board members have voiced opposition to the form. Opponents of the questionnaire argued that the document can make the county legally bound by school responses or create a mismatch between approved plats and actual build‑out timing. Supporters said school input is critical where districts have no spare capacity and that early warning helps districts plan.

After debate, a motion to stop sending the questionnaire to school districts as part of the concurrency submission process carried. Council members said staff will return with revised options, clarified metrics for schools (for example, which school levels should be emphasized), and an approach that preserves useful school input without creating undue legal exposure for the county.

Why it matters: The change alters how the county coordinates development approvals with school planning. For districts that report limited capacity, the questionnaire has been a tool to flag potential seat shortages; removing it now requires an alternate method to ensure schools receive timely development data.

What’s next: Staff will rework the questionnaire, consult with school districts and return to the council with revised concurrency procedures and metric options.