Board reviews $157.5M bond proposal with tentative $45M SBA match, narrows project priorities
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Summary
Board previewed a proposed $157.5 million bond call (comprised of roughly $112.5M bond proceeds plus a $45M tentative School Building Authority match), reviewed project scopes — CTE center, middle- and high-school additions, HVAC and roadwork — and asked staff and architects to refine estimates for a follow-up meeting.
The Berkeley County Schools Board of Education spent the second half of its session reviewing a draft bond package the district plans to present to voters.
Staff introduced an Excel workbook that places the planning number at about $157.5 million: $112.5 million of local bond capacity plus a placeholder $45 million from the School Building Authority (SBA). "The number that we're working from here is going to be 157 and a half million dollars," a staff presenter said. Consultant Mr. Nasif told the board the package is roughly in line with the levy impact voters approved previously and offered an illustrative homeowner tax impact: "For a $200,000 home, the amount… is $243," he said in a worst-case planning scenario using a 5.5% interest estimate over 15 years.
Why it matters: staff and consultants said pairing a district bond with SBA funds would allow a broad slate of projects — new or replacement middle-school capacity, a CTE center, classroom additions to replace portables, cafeteria/kitchen renovations and targeted HVAC work — to address crowding and aging infrastructure across the county.
Key items and estimates discussed by staff and architects (preliminary): - CTE center (repurposing commercial space) — capacity planning for roughly 700–800 students; placeholder SBA match discussed for this item. - Replacement Hedgesville Middle or large classroom additions (estimate under refinement). - South Middle School addition to remove portables (estimate adjusted to about $16 million). - High-school cafeteria/kitchen renovations at several schools and targeted athletic/press-box improvements (Musselman press box and girls-wrestling locker improvements discussed). - Spring Mills campus connector road and turning-lane work (initial estimate $2.5M, potentially higher pending DOH/transportation study).
Board members provided quick yes/no guidance while staff adjusted the shared worksheet; the group assembled a tentative package totaling about $155.156 million in selected projects under the $157.5M planning number. Several board members urged leaving contingency room in the call because SBA participation is not yet final and project estimates will be refined. A district representative recommended not overpromising and to keep some flexibility in the call so overruns or lower SBA participation can be absorbed.
On timing, the consultant said a May election would likely lead to bonds being sold and closed by as early as March 2027, with pre-sale reimbursable costs (architectural, engineering) allowed to proceed in many cases and later paid from bond proceeds if the bond sale happens.
What’s next: staff will refine costs with McKinley Architects and others, run levy and homeowner-impact scenarios (including a $115M alternate scenario), and share a cleaned, prioritized project list with the board ahead of the next public meeting. The board asked staff to seek final SBA feedback and to prepare voter-facing materials that clearly state project scopes and likely tax impacts.