Voter Registration Deadline for School Dist. 2 Referendum April2
Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer
On May 2, Anderson School District 2 voters will choose between a new, consolidated Belton-Honea Path Middle School or finding ways to refurbish the two current middle schools.
County election officials are urging residents to check their voter registration status ahead of an upcoming referendum, warning that anyone who is not registered by April 2 will not be able to cast a ballot.
Voters can register or update their information online at scvotes.gov, provided they have a South Carolina driver’s license or DMV ID card; online registrations must be completed by April 2 before midnight. Paper forms are also available for download at the site and may be returned to the county voter registration and elections office by email or fax by midnight on April 2, or by mail if postmarked by that date.
Residents may also register in person at their county voter registration and elections office through 5 p.m. on April 2. Officials are also reminding anyone who has moved, especially those who have moved to a different county, or who has changed their name, to update their voter registration before the deadline to help ensure a smoother process at the polls.
After several years of study, the Dist. 2 school board is recommending the new school, which they say will allow room for growth and a better experience for all students, which would require a bond allowing the borrowing of up to $70 million for the school.
With just over 500 students, Belton Middle School is located in the old Belton High School and Honea Path Middle School in the old Geer Gant High School. The current Belton-Honea Path High School was formed in 1966 when the two schools merged. Geer Gant, the historic African-American school, joined the two other high schools as part of integration of schools in 1969.
While both middle schools have received some updates over the years, there are classrooms in both schools with a single electrical outlet, which are still not well-suited for modern classrooms. The aging buildings also are prone to leaks with each rain event, and are in need of significant upgrades and renovations. A current detailed engineering study is under way to provide an estimate of the exact cost of the upgrades to the buildings which are both more than 70 years old.
A new 140,000 square-feet facility would provide new and expanded opportunities in both academics and athletics for students, according to Superintendent Jason Johns. The plans are to locate the new school behind the current high school where the district already owns the land.
If voters reject the referendum, a recent study suggests the cost of refurbishing the two current schools at roughly $48 million, though the price could be slightly more or less depending on timing and cost of construction materials and labor.
Both projects would require a tax increase for voters in the district.
County election officials are urging residents to check their voter registration status ahead of an upcoming referendum, warning that anyone who is not registered by April 2 will not be able to cast a ballot.
Voters can register or update their information online at scvotes.gov, provided they have a South Carolina driver’s license or DMV ID card; online registrations must be completed by April 2 before midnight. Paper forms are also available for download at the site and may be returned to the county voter registration and elections office by email or fax by midnight on April 2, or by mail if postmarked by that date.
Residents may also register in person at their county voter registration and elections office through 5 p.m. on April 2. Officials are also reminding anyone who has moved, especially those who have moved to a different county, or who has changed their name, to update their voter registration before the deadline to help ensure a smoother process at the polls.
