Orangeburg County School District: Lake Marion Middle dedication planned; trustees OK Edisto, Elloree improvements

The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m.

OCSD Assistant Superintendent for Operations Dr. Jesse Washington said the school recently passed an overhead inspection and that a final inspection is scheduled for July 12.

“After that we can begin to occupy the building. We will be proud new homeowners,” Washington told OCSD trustees at their Thursday meeting.

Until then, Washington said the final painting of the building is ongoing, the sidewalks will be completed and plumbing fixtures will be installed.

The $9.8 million project consists of a new, 20,500-square-foot wing at the Lake Marion High School campus.

The addition will house about 500 middle school students and will become the Lake Marion Middle School. It will be added to the existing 24,500-square-foot school building for a total space of 45,000 square feet.

The school will serve students from Holly Hill-Roberts Middle and Elloree Middle. Both Holly Hill-Roberts and Elloree Middle will close.

In addition to the Lake Marion Middle school addition, trustees were given an update on other building projects throughout the district. The projects are a part of the $190 million spending plan approved by voters.

Washington said the site has been cleared and land graded for the future Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School on Cook Road. Work on the main building pad has also begun.

The $125.3 million, two-story school is targeted for completion in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Washington said the construction of the East Lake Elementary School is on schedule. The first set of stairs has been installed and road widening on Camden Road has begun.

Roofing has been placed over the gym and commons area and brick work is being done outside the building.

At Clark Middle School, Washington said the building has passed an electrical inspection of the main gear switch. All exterior windows and gutters have been installed, as well as flooring.

All projects are on schedule.

In related matters, trustees unanimously approved spending almost $4.2 million, with a $200,000 engineering contingency, on heating and air conditioning system repairs and replacements at Edisto High School and Elloree Elementary School.