Voters Choose to Fund New Dorchester Two Schools

Updated 9 a.m. Nov. 7 with updated numbers from election office.

The $179 million bond referendum put forth by Dorchester County School District Two passed during Tuesday's general election, according to the campaign supporting the measure.

"At this time, I think it's safe to say that (Superintendent Joe) Pye and the school district will have three new elementary schools," Yes4Schools co-chair Brian Moniz said to huge applause at Miler Country Club.

Yes4Schools reported gaining more than 4,000 votes in favor across most of Dorchester Two's precincts just after 9 p.m. It appeared that only Central 2 did not vote in favor of the referendum by only a few votes. The $7.5 million aquatic center measure is too close to call, according to Yes4Schools numbers by that time in the evening.

By Wednesday morning, with 61 of 62 precincts reporting, both questions passed. The first question of the $179 million bond passed with nearly 60 percent of the vote, and the second question of the aquatic center passed with more than 51 percent of the vote. Only Delemars precinct remains to be counted, according to online voting data.

"The community stepped up to the plate, they knew this was necessary. We're going to make this thing happen now starting in January," Moniz said.

It's the first bond referendum in decades for the district to pass, making the district rely upon creative financing to accomodate growth. The most recently built Joseph R. Pye Elementary used federal money to be built. 

The referendum includes building three new elementary schools, a new middle school for the arts, renovations to all three high schools, and investments in security, bathrooms and wireless in all schools. 

"Tomorrow morning we're going to start," Pye said.

According to district Chief Financial Officer Allyson Duke, a referendum in this amount would create an increase of $84 on a $100,000 house and $25 on a $20,000 car in the county. 

According to Dorchester County Auditor J.J. Messervy, an owner-occupied home in the limits of Summerville currently pays $685.20 per $100,000, adjusted with property tax relief but not including fees. A non-owner-occupied home in town pays $2,095.20 per $100,000, adjusted with property tax relief but not including fees.

Here are the identified improvements and projects, with rounded figures, under the referendum:

• Three 1,000-student elementary schools at $22.3 million each, for a total of $66.8 million
• A 750-student middle school of arts for $28.2 million
• A new multipurpose room and cafeteria expansion for Flowertown Elementary for $4 million
• A new multipurpose room for Newington Elementary for $2.6 million
• A new multipurpose room for Oakbrook Elementary for $2.4 million
• A new multipurpose room for Summerville Elementary for $2.7 million
• Classroom additions for Eagle Nest Elementary for $3.2 million
• Classroom additions for Oakbrook Middle for $3.9 million
• New related arts wing for Alston Middle for $4.9 million
• New CATE wing and classroom wing at Ashley Ridge High for $12.1 million
• New multipurpose room and classroom wing at Fort Dorchester High for $17.7 million
• New classroom addition, cafeteria expansion, rennovations for CATE and more at Summerville Highfor $10.6 million
• $4.3 million in improvements to security, bathrooms and more. This sum will also include going wireless at all schools, according to Pye.