School District Approves Purchase of Land for New School

On Monday, the Greenville County School Board approved the purchase of a 26.8-acre site in the CUICAR-Millennium Campus for the construction of a middle school.

The school, which will open in August 2014, will relieve overcrowding at Beck, Bryson, Hillcrest, Mauldin and Riverside middle schools, according to the district. The school’s attendance plan will be announced in spring 2013.

The property is owned by Clifford Rosen, who initiated the development of the CUICAR-Millennium Campus.

Rosen has agreed to sell the property at $75,000 an acre, a price significantly less than the value of similar properties of comparable size in the immediate area.

The agreement is expected to be finalized in the next two months.

“The school will be based on a projects-based curriculum that will encompass the sciences, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics,” said District Superintendent Dr. Phinnize J. Fisher. “The school’s instructional focus will promote partnerships with local industries and businesses in or near CUICAR such as Sage Automotive, GE Turbine, Hubbell Lighting, BMW, and TD Bank, and with Clemson University, local hospital systems, and other private and public entities.”

The school will be designed to 750 students.

Originally, the school was to be constructed on the site of the old J.L. Mann High School. Due to zoning restrictions, the board opted to find another site. The old J.L. Mann High will be demolished later this year.