Hampton County schools awarded $314,030 for safety upgrades

Ms. Darren, the district’s director of student services, told the Hampton County School Board that the district has been awarded $314,030 from the South Carolina Department of Education under the School Safety Priority Funds (proviso 1.77).

"Hampton County School District has been awarded $314,030 to strengthen school safety measures," Ms. Darren told the board, and said the district must encumber the funds by June 30, 2027. The proviso that authorized the program allocated up to $20 million statewide to public and charter districts to support safety upgrades.

Ms. Darren listed planned purchases tied to the award, including electric gate openers with keypads and cameras at Vaudeville Elementary and Hampton Intermediate; additional cameras at Brunson Elementary; exterior doors with keyless entry at Bernson Elementary; metal detectors for North District Middle School and Hampton County High; vape monitoring devices for Esther Middle; and classroom security hardware for several elementary and middle schools.

Board members asked no follow-up questions, and the Chair thanked Ms. Darren for completing the application and presenting the plan. The board did not take further action on the item at the meeting; the presentation was informational and the project timeline will depend on staff procurement and the June 30, 2027 encumbrance deadline.

Notes: The award was described in the meeting as authorized by "proviso 1.77 of the fiscal year 2526 appropriation act" as presented to the board by the district’s student services director.