Chester County school board expands proposed bond

CHESTER, S.C. — Chester County School district leaders are adding extra money to their proposed bond to help improve schools after an outcry from Great Falls residents.

The proposed bond is now $227 million.

Channel 9 South Carolina reporter Tina Terry asked leaders how the changes could impact taxes and if people were willing to vote for the referendum.

This is the fourth time in recent history that Chester County School leaders have put a bond referendum in front of voters. The past three have failed.

“It’s not fair we’ve always been put on the back burner and still to this day,” said Chris Vinson, a Great Falls resident.

He was disappointed when district leaders voted in favor of putting a $200 million bond on the ballot in November but didn’t include money for Great Falls.

“It’s unfair across the board,” Vinson said.

After hearing feedback from parents, including Vinson, Chester County’s school board met Monday and voted to bring that bond referendum from $200 million to $227 million.

The bond would have paid for new Chester and Lewisville high schools before but now, it will also pay for a new competition gym, science lab, band chorus, and ROTC spaces in Great Falls.

Vinson believes Great Falls should also get a new high school and he won’t support the bond in November.

“Our board members heard feedback,” said Chris Christoff, district spokesperson. “We’ve seen several comments on Facebook, so the board came together to reconsider that amount.”

Christoff said on Tuesday that growth in the Richburg area intensifies the need for a new high school.

“We’ve had to put in orders for modular systems to be able to accommodate current capacity,” Christoff said.

In 2021, the superintendent said the age and old school design of Chester High School is a safety issue and leaders said if this bond does not pass, the district will have to pull $20 million from the general fund to pay for a new roof.

Leaders want parents to reach out if they have questions about the bond before the vote in November.

If voters say yes to the bond, district leaders said a person with a $100,000 house would pay an extra $230 a year in taxes.

A person with a $10,000 car will pay an extra $35 a year in taxes.

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