2026 Facilities Proposal

Great teachers can teach anywhere. If voters choose not to pass the referendum in November, we will continue to operate in the facilities we have. It is important to note, however, that with inflation, the cost of construction will only continue to rise. 

This plan does not require any new taxes.

Under South Carolina law, school districts cannot exceed an 8% debt limit without voter approval. This referendum would allow Darlington County School District to borrow up to $240 million to complete the proposed projects.

If approved, the District would repay that debt over time, similar to a mortgage. Payments would be made using existing debt service capacity, along with expected growth in revenue. Based on current projections, this can be done without increasing the current debt service tax rate.

In simple terms, the referendum allows the District to move forward with needed improvements while keeping the tax rate where it is today.

Hartsville High School and Spaulding Middle School would move to new locations, but the schools themselves would remain the same. They would serve the same grade levels and communities, with the same school identities. Because these schools would be relocated rather than newly created, they would keep their existing names: Hartsville High School and Spaulding Middle School.

In Darlington, the proposal would combine Brockington Elementary Magnet School and Pate Elementary School into one new K-5 elementary school. Because this would create a new school, its name would be selected according to Board of Education policy.

Darlington County School District is a countywide school district. Taxpayers support schools in Darlington, Hartsville, and Lamar, regardless of where they live within the county. These projects are presented as one districtwide plan to address the District’s most pressing facility needs. Keeping them together allows the District to plan responsibly, manage costs efficiently, and move forward in a coordinated and timely way for students across the county.

When and where possible, the proposal calls for the District to use land it already owns. Under the current proposal, Spaulding Middle School would be built on the grounds of Lamar-Spaulding Elementary School. The new Darlington-area elementary school would be built on District-owned property near Darlington Middle School and the Darlington County Institute of Technology.

The location for the proposed new Hartsville High School has not yet been finalized. The District originally considered the grounds near Kelleytown Stadium, but based on community feedback, the Darlington County Board of Education has decided to seek a different location for the school.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. The future use of each facility would depend on the needs of that community, the condition of the property, and the opportunities available at the time.

The District has a history of working with communities to find productive new uses for former school properties. In Society Hill, the District sold the former Rosenwald Elementary School to CareSouth for use as a community medical facility. In Hartsville, the former Washington Street Elementary School was sold to the Community Action Agency and now houses Head Start, the Boys & Girls Club, and other community services. In Darlington, after hearing that housing is a local priority, the District has been working with a developer on potential housing at the former Brunson-Dargan Elementary School campus.

As future decisions are made, the District and Board of Education will look for proposals that are well-planned, realistic, financially responsible, and beneficial to the community.