Lexington 1 has approved a budget increase for a new Middle School

On Tuesday, June 1, the Lexington County School District 1 Board of Trustees accepted the administration’s recommendation to increase the budget for the construction of a new Lexington Middle School replacement facility (Lakeside Middle School) by $5 million using bond premium and interest earnings to date on the 2018 Bond Referendum sales.

On Nov. 6, 2018, Lexington 1 residents voted for and passed a $365 million 5-year building plan (2018– 2023) that included $53 million allocated for construction of a new facility for current Lexington Middle School students.

Administrators explained that the increase of $5 million would pay for the South Carolina Department of Transportation and the Office of School Facilities at the South Carolina Department of Education requirements for offsite road improvements on Old Cherokee Road. These include approximately one mile of relocation of utilities, the construction of turn lanes and a center median, and the addition of a traffic signal.

Chief Operations Officer Jeff Salters also explained that construction prices for lumber, steel, and other building materials increased during covid-19 — impacting costs associated with this project and plans for a district Transportation facility.

The new Lakeside Middle School allows students to remain under one roof and not spread across multiple buildings and increases building capacity to accommodate future growth. The almost 62-acre site provides for adequate stacking of vehicles during student drop-off and pick-up.

Since the district understands that Lexington 1 residents want to keep up with the progress of the building plan, the district developed a webpage to do just that. This site enables residents to see what is currently happening at their child’s school and includes “before” photographs, the current phase taking place, photographs of that progress, etc.