Charleston County School Board approved $26M for educational project budget

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – The Charleston County School Board approved Monday night a $26 million increase to its budget for projects including the construction of a new school and improvements within the school district.

A referendum was approved in 2020 to finance capital education projects. Some items included the construction of a new James B. Edwards Elementary, improvements to James Island Charter High School’s stadium, and updates to Edith L. Frierson Elementary.

“We have to get to a point to understand what the community wants and what their input is to it what the project goals are and how to satisfy everyone,” said Kevin Hollinshead, a Charleston County School Board member.

According to staff, the current approved budget is based on pre-pandemic costs. The school’s construction management firm monitors the cost of construction materials, including steel, concrete, copper, lumber, and metal, weekly.

With market escalations, they recommended an additional $26 million be approved to go towards education projects which the board voted unanimously to approve the project.

The projects are currently in the design phase and construction has not yet begun.

“Both Frierson and James B. Edwards, we have architects, and work is underway but essentially all three are entering or just into the design process,” said Jeff Browy, the Chief Operating Officer for CCSD.