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Resident tells Dorchester School District 2 board agricultural zoning for developers may be costing schools revenue
Summary
A public commenter urged the school board to press county officials after alleging that agricultural zoning has been applied to large developers, citing 29 properties and an estimated $1.7 million in lost tax revenue under Act 388; the board did not respond substantively at the hearing.
A Dorchester County resident used the public-comment period to urge the school board to pursue county action over what the speaker called inappropriate agricultural zoning for developers that she said reduces taxable value and harms school funding.
The commenter named several national builders — Mungo Homes, D.R. Horton, Lennar and Beazer — and said she and others found 29 properties where agricultural classification limited rollback taxes, producing a claimed district revenue loss of roughly $1.7 million under Act 388, the state school‑funding statute. "They're paying $230 in taxes [for a large parcel] ... They should be paying $105,000," the resident said as an example, and added she has provided spreadsheets and has contacted the South Carolina Department of Revenue for review.
The resident urged the board to "bring this up to county" and said county records and assessor practices should be examined. The district did not offer a substantive response during the hearing beyond acknowledging the comment and saying the public comment period had concluded.
The allegations involve assessment and zoning administration decisions by county officials and reference Act 388 and South Carolina Code provisions cited by the speaker. The claims made by the commenter were not verified during the hearing; the board and staff did not provide documentation or confirm county action at the meeting. The speaker said the Department of Revenue is reviewing her materials.
