Board members press for school impact fees as Bluffton grows, criticize lobbyist support

Board members used the legislative committee meeting to press for renewed action on school impact fees and for stronger state-level advocacy. A long-serving member criticized past local decisions and argued the district has not secured developer contributions for new school capacity.

"The developers have not spent a dime to provide the district with the means to build school," the member said, describing 30 years of growth in Bluffton and citing multiple middle schools within a five-mile radius and inefficient bus routing as symptoms of uncoordinated development.

The same speaker said a county study once allocated impact fees across services (schools, fire, police), but cities did not adopt the school component and legal/political disputes led to school fees being dropped. The member said the district's contracted lobbyist "was nothing more than a person who sent us meeting reports" and lacked the political gravitas needed to block or counter consolidation proposals affecting neighboring districts.

Another member urged the group to convert discussion into action. "This time, we need to do action," Miss Boatwright said, and the committee directed staff to prepare background materials the group can use for advocacy and outreach.

Committee members described several next steps: gather and share the list of prefiled bills from the School Boards Association and state legislature, prepare a concise executive summary for board members, and build regional partnerships — including peer meetings with Charleston and Horry County officials — to pursue a coordinated lobbying strategy.

The committee scheduled a follow-up meeting for Feb. 26 to review data, finalize outreach assignments and decide on further advocacy steps.