[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.91″ custom_padding=”0px|0px|0px|0px” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”2px|0px|8px|0px” _builder_version=”3.0.47″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Featured Image caption” _builder_version=”3.15″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px”]<\/p>\n
\nCampaign placards for the Richland 2 school board election and referendum are plentiful near E.L Wright Middle School on Alpine Road.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.92″ custom_padding=”2px|0px|37.9062px|0px” prev_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row custom_padding=”0px|0px|18.9531px|0px” custom_margin=”10px|||” _builder_version=”3.0.92″][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”News Story” _builder_version=”3.15″ custom_margin=”0px||0px|”]<\/p>\n
\nVoters in the Richland 2 school district will decide on Election Day whether the district can borrow more than $468 million to improve safety, security and transportation at the district’s schools and facilities.<\/p>\n
The ballot referendum is divided into two questions.<\/p>\n
The first question will deal with upgrading several schools in the district, including Forest Lake Elementary School and E.L Wright Middle School. The schools were built in the early 1950s and 60s.<\/p>\n
If question one is approved by voters, the second question will address if the district can borrow an additional $86 million to build more performing arts centers and improve athletic facilities.<\/p>\n
Superintendent Baron Davis said Monday night that it is vital to be transparent with the community about the bond referendum so voters are able to get information for themselves.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have the facts available for them to review and empower them with information they need to make an informed decision,\u201d Davis said at a forum at The Brook Church on Parklane Road.<\/p>\n
Wanda Russ-Kenscoff, who has a second grader at Roundtop Elementary School, wanted to hear more about the plans because she\u2019s interested in making sure her tax dollars are spent wisely.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would be doing my child and the children in the district a disservice if I didn\u2019t become informed about an issue that\u2019s going to impact how they perform in school,\u201d Russ-Kenscoff said.<\/p>\n
Richland 2 board chairman\u00a0 Amelia McKie, one of six members of the seven-member board chose to endorse the referendum, said some of the schools\u2019 open learning spaces pose security hazards and she wants that fixed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re blessed to not be a community that has had to be reactive to a serious safety concern,\u201d McKie said. The school district has more 27,000 students in 40 schools and centers.<\/p>\n
Richland 2 has held four bond referenda since 1999.<\/p>\n
Three bond proposals passed, including the latest in 2008 where voters endorsed borrowing $306 million to cover the cost of several construction projects of building four elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.<\/p>\n
But not everyone is in support of the new bond referendum.<\/p>\n
Northeast Taxpayers for Safer Schools, a political organization group of concerned Northeast Richland citizens, wants Richland 2 to focus on a more systematic plan to secure schools, without the inclusion of other items.<\/p>\n
Ann Thomason, one of the members of the Northeast Taxpayers for Safer Schools, says she doesn’t believe its fiscally responsible to add more tax burden.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think they need to go back to the drawing board and come back with a more specific target of what the safety and security is going to look like and take out a lot of the extra stuff that we just can\u2019t afford right now,\u201d Thomason said.<\/p>\n
Stephen Gilchrist, a founder of District\u2019s 2 Black Parent Association, said he\u2019s unsure how the district can continue to sustain the funding.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe taxpayers of Richland Northeast are still in the process of paying off previous bonds that in some ways have caused taxes to be remarkably high on businesses, individuals and homeowners,\u201d Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n
While Richland County uses personal property taxes to fund school districts, Gilchrist said he worries people will leave the district and there won\u2019t be anyone in the community to pay for the upgrades.<\/p>\n
A Richland County taxpayer would be looking at a financial impact of $4o per year based on the value of a $100,000 home. Businesses would have to pay an additional $60 per year based on the value of a $100,000 business property.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are small businesses and quite frankly they would just be out of business \u2013 primarily African American businesses that just won\u2019t be able to survive if in fact this bond passes,\u201d Gilchrist said.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 1″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.15″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/BondRef_P2_QH.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 1″ _builder_version=”3.15″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n \nForest Lake Elementary School is one of the oldest schools in District 2, dating to the early 1950s. The bond referendum would provide capital improvements and security to some older schools.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 2″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.15″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/BondRef_P3_QH.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 2″ _builder_version=”3.15″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n The Richland 2 School District is seeking voter approval for a $468.4 million bond referendum. The election is set for Nov. 6.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 3″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.15″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/BondRef_P4_QH.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text admin_label=”Caption 3″ _builder_version=”3.15″ text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”12px” text_line_height=”1.4em” custom_margin=”8px|||2px” custom_padding=”|||” background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n \nSuperintendent Baron Davis and members of the Richland 2 School board held a meeting on Monday night at the Brook Church in Columbia to explain to voters the proposed $468.4 million bond referendum.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image admin_label=”Image 4″ show_in_lightbox=”on” show_bottom_space=”off” _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_margin=”||2px|” custom_padding=”|||” animation_style=”slide” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ box_shadow_horizontal=”4px” box_shadow_vertical=”4px” url_new_window=”off” use_overlay=”off” always_center_on_mobile=”on” force_fullwidth=”off” src=”http:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/10\/BondRef_G1_QH-2.jpg”]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A decade after passing a $306 million school bond referendum, voters on Nov. 6 will be asked to approve another multi-million dollar bond package. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":128,"featured_media":13668,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":""},"categories":[67,62,39],"tags":[283,279,282,151],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13595"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/128"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13595"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13595\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16291,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13595\/revisions\/16291"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13668"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13595"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13595"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carolinanewsandreporter.cic.sc.edu\/test\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13595"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}