South Carolina school district plans $285M expenditure to improve campus facilities

Aiken County Public Schools (ACPS) in South Carolina will spend $285 million on an array of improvement projects across five campuses. 

South Aiken High School suffers from extensive interior deterioration. To address safety and health concerns, the district will replace the fire alarm system, repair the roof, replace exterior doors and expand the cafeteria. In addition, the school will build an auxiliary gym, replace fencing and guardrails and upgrade the athletic fields, locker rooms and storage areas. 

Midland Valley High School has similar issues with leaking roofs and unsafe infrastructure designs. To improve facilities, ACPS will replace the roof and door locks. The district will address erosion issues at the sports fields, improve the parking lot, install more electrical outlets and improve the culinary arts spaces with updated cabinets, equipment and ventilation. The school will also improve the parking lot, paving over dirt lots that frequently flood. 

Plans for North Augusta Middle School (NAMS) will prioritize updating campus infrastructure and accessibility. This will include upgrading the front entrance to be ADA-compliant, replacing doors and windows to remediate leaks and improve safety and replacing the HVAC unit. In addition, NAMS will install flood prevention measures along the walkway to the media center, replace the parking lot and fix ventilation issues in the restrooms and gymnasium. 

ACPS will make several improvements to Silver Bluff High School, starting with upgrading the front entrance to enhance security. Additional work will involve remediating drainage issues at the athletic field and erosion problems across campus. The gym and weight room will benefit from an expansion, visitor seating for sports games will be improved and classrooms will be enlarged to accommodate students. 

To ensure the district can match rapid student body growth, ACPS will build the Area Three Middle School. The campus will have the capacity for about 750 students. 

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