District 55 board agrees to Gray Court-Owings annexation

The Laurens County School District 55 Board of Trustees Monday cleared the way for Gray Court-Owings School to be annexed into the Town of Gray Court.
Trustees voted unanimously to allow the annexation to go forward at its regular meeting Monday night.

The school currently sits on unincorporated land in Laurens County that is contiguous to the town limits, and its annexation is pivotal in annexation of neighboring property and a planned residential development.

“It’s very big for the Town of Gray Court,” said Town Manager Garry Smith. “It gives us the ability to work with the Laurens County Water and Sewer Commission for the surrounding the area. They will be able to serve the growing needs that we have.”

The LCWSC has contracted with Gray Court to oversee its water system. In order for the residential property, which circles behind the school along Highway 14, to be annexed, the school had to be annexed as well.

With both properties annexed, the town will be able to apply for funding to get water and sewer to the property.

The LCWSC already serves Gray Court-Owings School, so the annexation will not change those services or the tax burden for the district, said District 55 Superintendent Ameca Thomas.

The proposed single-family residential development could include as many as 600 homes.

“Because of the town’s partnership and agreement with LCWSC, we able to work together on those annexation issues, so we can have adequate water and sewer in the area,” Smith said. “We have capital plans for the future.”