CLOVER, S.C. — The clock is ticking for the Clover School District as it works to open a new $156 million high school by 2026.
"Year 2026 is not that far down the road," Clover School District COO Mark Hopkins said.
The bond referendum was approved last fall to fund a new high school in the Lake Wylie area, but since then, a site plan approval has been denied by the county for the second time.
"The timeline to build a high school is two and a half years, and it's a pretty tight timeline that seems to be getting tighter," Hopkins said. "I hope that we've gotten to a point now where we will be able to move forward,"
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Hopkins said that if they aren’t moving ground by early next year, meeting the 2026 timeline will be a real challenge. He added that the school district has ironed out the kinks, with the biggest obstacles being things like landscaping, plan development agreement, and traffic impact analysis.
"Certainly a school generates traffic that's basically at peak times of the day, and we have to ensure we meet standards and mitigate them," Hopkins said.
District leaders are optimistic that the county will give a thumbs up, but the fear of possibly pushing back the deadline is concerning.
Now it's up to county leaders to decide whether or not to move forward with plans next month.
"We're hopeful we'll get some good news, at least to be able to start moving forward, which would certainly help our timeline," Hopkins said.
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The district will also be holding focus groups over the next couple of months to color in other details, like the name of the new high school, the mascot, and school colors.
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