District 55 to host forums on bond issue

The Laurens County District 55 Board and administration will host a series of four public forums concerning a proposed bond referendum to build a new Laurens District High School.

The first of those four forums will be held Tuesday night at 6 p.m. at Hickory Tavern.

“We want to have a question-and-answer period with out administration and staff,” Laurens District 55 Superintendent Stephen Peters said. “There’s a lot of information out there right now and some of it isn’t true. Things like this make you anxious enough, and we don’t want anyone anxious over things that aren’t true.”

The District 55 Board of Trustees approved a resolution for a bond referendum at its regular meeting on Jan. 23. The referendum will go to Laurens County voters later this year with a tentative date of May 9.

The district is asking for $109 million in general-obligation bonds for construction of a new high school.

Peters said his staff will have information on views of the board and the administration on the need for a new high school as well as breakdowns of potential hikes for local taxpayers.

“We want to verify as closely as well can for everyone what tax increases they might incur,” he said.

In addition to the construction of a new high school, the plan could include the consolidation of middle schools at the current LDHS campus.

No site for the proposed new high school has been selected, though several are under consideration, Peters said.

Peters said in addition to giving out information, he will welcome input from parents, citizens and students.

“We want to know what they want to see in a new high school if this referendum passes,” he said.

In addition to Tuesday’s forum at Hickory Tavern, forum are scheduled for Gray Court-Owings on Monday, Feb. 13, Sanders Middle School on Monday, Feb. 20 and Tuesday, Feb. 28 at LDHS.

Each forum is set to begin at 6 p.m.