Facilities Committee approves 2026-27 capital improvement package including major HVAC, roof and site projects

The Facilities Committee on April 20 reviewed and approved the district's proposed 2026-2027 capital improvement projects, a package funded from the district's annual $25 million capital allocation.

Joe Burch of the facilities department summarized the package and said the plan balances district-wide sustainment requests with several larger targeted projects. "This is one of our most important items we bring every year. And that is the discussion and approval of the upcoming fiscal year capital improvement projects," Burch said, outlining routine sustainment (painting, flooring, paving, roofing, playgrounds and athletics) that total about $5.5 million.

The presentation included a proposal for a new cafeteria branding and furniture sustainment fund to furnish one school per region; the department estimated that initiative would cost roughly $600,000. Burch also described a ready-to-bid HVAC and roofing project for Loris Middle (design completed; staff cited an estimated cost from comparable projects of about $10 million) and requested $350,000 for design and permitting for an HVAC replacement evaluation at Carolina Forest Elementary, with construction funding to be requested after the scope is developed.

Other items in the package included a recommendation to purchase an 8-classroom modular pod into district inventory for $1,025,000 and a roof replacement planned for Lawrence High School. For site work, Burch requested $4 million for a multi-part improvement at Saukastee High School to construct a new bus loop and drop-off canopy, improve across-street parking and lighting, realign drives as needed and reduce unsafe student crossings on River Road. "We are requesting $4 million for that work," he said, noting the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) and the Office of School Facilities (OSF) will be heavily involved in design and permitting.

Committee members asked questions about sequencing and costs. Staff confirmed Carolina Forest's design would follow the typical pattern of one year of design followed by construction in the next fiscal year, and said Carolina Forest has accumulated a large number of work orders related to aging HVAC equipment. A committee member asked about an apparent discrepancy in numbers mentioned during discussion regarding a Loris campus (some remarks referenced a $5.5 million estimate while earlier staff referenced a higher figure); staff responded that residual funds and earlier-year roofing sustainment would be used to help cover the project, but the transcript contained inconsistent references to which Loris campus was under discussion.

Janet Graham asked why school roof projects are costly; Burch explained that flat-school roof systems use multi-ply, modified bitumen membrane with insulation, drainage and large surface areas, and provided an example calculation (about 160,000 square feet at roughly $25 per square foot yields approximately $5 million for a large roof replacement). Burch added that material-price escalation, tied to oil prices, also affects roofing costs.

Several members urged clearer communication about prioritization criteria and visibility into work-orders and regional allocations so school staff and students understand why some projects are advanced over others. One member praised the planned improvements addressing long-standing safety concerns at Socastee High School related to bus drop-off and student crossings.

After discussion, a motion to approve the 2026-2027 capital improvement projects was moved, seconded and approved by voice vote; the committee recorded the ayes and the chair declared the package approved. The meeting adjourned without further action recorded.

What's next: staff will proceed with design, permitting and bidding as outlined and return with construction funding requests or additional details as specific project scopes are finalized.