Big changes planned for Orangeburg schools; borrowing plan would allow fixes at Howard, Clark

Voters will be asked to approve the work on Nov. 8 as part of a referendum on a $190 million borrowing package.

The referendum would also allow a number of other projects, including the renovation of Edisto Primary School to house students from Rivelon Elementary School. Rivelon would close.

The borrowing, if approved, would also lead to construction, renovations and improvements across the district.

The district said there is not an itemized breakdown of the costs anticipated for the work.

“We are working with architects at this time,” the district said in a statement.

The district said the upgrades at the schools will provide, “improved educational environments that will support enhanced safety and educational programs for students.”

School district officials say the borrowing will not lead to an increase in property taxes. As older debt is paid down, the new debt payments will be added to tax bills, the officials say.

OCSD officials say the plan will save money in the long run, since Orangeburg County’s public schools need an estimated $429 million in repairs districtwide if it does not follow the plan.

William J. Clark addition

The district is proposing the construction of a roughly 30,000-square-foot addition to Clark Middle School’s campus.

The school would become the home of middle-level students throughout the central area of the county, including those within Clark’s attendance zone and students previously zoned for Howard Middle School.

Initial estimates are that the construction of the wing will cost between $10 million and $15 million.

Robert E. Howard Middle

The plan would convert Howard Middle into an elementary school that would serve students currently served by Whittaker, Brookdale and Mellichamp elementary schools.

Whittaker, Brookdale and Mellichamp elementary schools would close under the plan. The schools are all within four miles of each other.

If those schools were to remain open, repair costs for Whittaker are estimated to be about $18 million; Brookdale, $9 million and Mellichamp, $6 million.

Officials say that combining the schools into one would reduce the amount of space that needs to be heated and cooled. Howard Middle is a 124,000-square-foot building. Brookdale, Mellichamp and Whittaker combine for a total 204,000 square feet.

The district has recently put a new roof on Howard Middle and painted the building.

Under the district’s plan, the Howard Elementary would be 75% occupied.

Howard is located at 1255 Belleville Road in Orangeburg and was built in 1951.

The school was renovated in 1952 with classroom wings E, F, G, H and I added.

The gym was developed in 1954. Classroom wing K was developed in 1957 and classroom wing L and the media center in 1962.

Classroom wings M, N and TL were developed in 1965 and the kitchen was upgraded in 1989. A cafeteria addition was placed in 2003.

The school can hold 1,196 students.

According to a study by architecture firm LS3P, the district spends about $147,486 in annual energy costs at the school.

The new portion of the school is in good condition with only minor repairs needed, according to the study.

The current Howard Middle School has the following issues:

Exterior observations

• The downspouts and gutters need lots of repairs on the older classroom wings. Replacement is recommended.

• The exterior building’s brick appears to be in good condition. However, on the older classroom wings of the building, moisture issues were evident.

• The window system is in good condition. Windows on the older classroom wings need lots of repairs and the study recommends replacing them.

• Exterior doors need hardware repairs. On the older sections, they need lots of repairs and the study recommends replacing them.

• The manufactured walkway covers and canopies (especially at the older classroom wings) are old and leaking in spots. They need lots of repairs and the study recommends replacing them.

• The classroom wings are all accessed from the exterior of the building. Classroom doors open directly to the outside. This is a potential security issue.

• There are water drainage issues between the older classroom wings as well. The grading in this area is poor and doesn’t have the necessary catch basins and stormwater piping to carry water away from the buildings.

Interior observations

• There is no fire sprinkler system.

• Smoke detectors are throughout the school.

• The interior walls are in good condition in the newer buildings.

• The administration area flooring in many cases needs to be replaced.

• The administration ceilings and doors need to be repaired

• Most of the doors throughout the school (except in the older sections of the school) are in good condition. In the older classroom wings, these doors need lots of door hardware repairs and touch-up paint.

• Corridor and hallway ceilings and flooring are in good condition.

• The media center has old/dated looking ceilings and carpet flooring. There is carpet on the walls and columns. The carpet needs to be replaced and removed from the columns. The study recommends adding acoustical sound tiles on walls instead.

• Some bathroom ceilings need to be repaired at locations. The sinks and toilet fixtures are in good condition.

• Overall, ceilings and flooring in classrooms are in good condition. The older classroom wings are not in good condition and need lots of repairs of ceiling, flooring and windows.

• Ceilings in the boys and girls locker rooms need to be replaced and doors need to be repaired.

• The basketball court area’s walls and doors need to be repaired.

• Ceilings and doors in the cafeteria need to be repaired. Flooring needs to be repaired in the main dining area and the manager’s office in the kitchen area.

• Flooring needs to be repaired in the band/music room

smaller schools

Rivelon Elementary and Edisto Primary School exclusively serve early learners in pre-kindergarten through second grade. The underutilized schools have bordering attendance lines.

The district proposes completing minor renovations at Edisto Primary School and transitioning Rivelon students to EPS. Rivelon would close.

According to the facilities study, it would cost about $14 million to bring Rivelon up to a minimum standard.

Roof work and flooring, painting and lighting would have to be done at Edisto Primary School to make it suitable for Rivelon students.

There is currently an entire wing at Edisto Primary that is not being used, which can absorb the additional 189 students from Rivelon.

Combining the students from those two campuses increases Edisto Primary’s occupancy to 65%.

Edisto Primary

The 104,206-square-foot Edisto Primary school in Cordova was built in 2001.

Edisto Primary has a capacity of 1,232 students, but served about 540 at the time of the study.

The average annual energy cost is $121,152.

The study revealed that overall the school is in very good condition, except for the gym. The gym is very old and needs lots of repairs, according to the study.

Other findings at Edisto Primary include:

Exterior observations

• No roof leaks at this school. The downspouts and gutters could use some repairs.

• The school’s exterior brick appears to be in good condition.

• The windows appear to be in good condition generally but would need to be replaced on the western side of the school. Roofing and doors are also cited for replacement.

• Exterior doors are in good shape with only minor hardware issues and some touch-up paint needed.

• The manufactured walkway covers and canopies need some minor repairs, but are in overall good condition.

• Playground equipment needs minor repairs.

Interior observations

• No fire sprinkler system.

• Smoke detectors throughout the school.

• The interior walls are in good condition.

• The main entry vestibule area has nice terrazzo flooring.

• The administration area has carpet throughout. It is in good condition.

• Doors are primarily wood-core doors with hollow metal frames. Most of the doors throughout the school are in good condition with only minor touch-up paint needed on frames.

• Bathrooms are in good condition. The sinks and toilet fixtures are in good condition and the toilet partitions are in good shape.

• Classroom ceilings and flooring are in good shape with minor repairs needed in hallways, the teacher workroom/lounge and the computer lab.

• The gym is a separate building and is the original building, which was built approximately 40 to 50 years ago. This gym building now serves as a multi-purpose room/auditorium. It has a platform. The building has an old basement, which is now closed off, and is located under the stage area that was used as locker rooms.

Other improvements

The referendum also mentions making renovations and improvements to various facilities at multiple existing schools, including athletic, auditorium, fine arts and playground improvements.

The district says the upgrades will provide, “improved educational environments that will support enhanced safety and educational programs for students.”

The district said other specifics of what will be done at various schools has not been finalized.

“We are working with architects at this time,” the district said.