On August 20, 2019, the Kershaw County School Board voted to close Mt. Pisgah Elementary School, Baron DeKalb Elementary School and Bethune Elementary School and build a new elementary school adjacent to North Central Middle School. The new school will open in the 2021-22 school year. 

Construction details:

• Cost of Construction - $19,906,738 + (5%)
• Annual Cost Savings From Closing Three Schools (including personnel, maintenance, and utility costs) - $769,038
• New Elementary School - 477 (Capacity 600)
• District Average of Remaining Schools - 578
• Midway Elementary School - 340
• Class sizes range from 1:26 (Mt. Pisgah) to 1:19 (Bethune & Camden)
• School Safety - Building would be equipped with the latest safety technology
• Future Growth and Capacity - Building would be designed to handle a 15% increase in capacity

• November 15, 2019, at noon - Groundbreaking Ceremony for Construction
• September 2019 - Awarding of the architectural contract to Pike-McFarland-Hall Associates, Inc. & UWPD Architecture, Inc.
• September 2019 - Awarding of the construction contract to Hood Construction
• August 20, 2019 - Kershaw County School Board votes to close Mt. Pisgah Elementary School, Baron DeKalb Elementary School and Bethune Elementary School and build a new elementary school adjacent to North Central Middle School. The new school will open in the 2021-22 school year. 

This scattergram shows where the current elementary school students in the North Central area live in proximity to the new school site. 

This transportation assessment shows that more North Central area elementary students will have shorter bus rides after the construction of the new school. 

The historical enrollment of Kershaw County elementary schools.

The premium and interest associated with the referendum will be used to pay debt service on the referendum debt. The amount of premium and interest from the referendum will not be used to pay the costs of constructing the new elementary school.

By using the premium and interest from the referendum to pay debt service on the referendum debt instead of tax revenue from existing debt service millage, the existing debt service millage becomes available to be used to pay the debt service on the bonds issued for the new elementary school.

The School District’s commitment to keep millage at 64.2 remains in place. The financing of the elementary school will not result in a millage increase or any additional taxes.