Spartanburg County growth: Woodruff, District 4 voters set to decide fate of new high school

Spartanburg County District 4 is preparing for the future with 5,000 homes planned for development in the school district and an estimate of 2,500 students to be enrolled over the next few school years. 

District 4 voters will cast ballots Aug. 11 on a $100 million referendum that will decide whether or not to build a new Woodruff High School in the district due to capacity limitations of the current schools in the district.

The Board of Trustees agreed to hold a bond referendum to have residents in the district to vote for an issue of The bond referendum, approved by the district's Board of Trustees, would create $100 million in bonds to build and equip a new high school and construct sports facilities. The information sheet for the referendum states "District 4 is NOT building a new football stadium to replace W.L.Varner Stadium." 

Opinion:It's time for Woodruff and Spartanburg District 4 to get a new high school

The potential high school would be located on Highway 146, less than a mile away from the already existing school. If the referendum passes, the new Woodruff High School would open in the fall of 2025.

The school plan will go as followed:

• 2nd Grade – 3rd Grades will be placed in the current elementary school
• 4th Grade – 5th Grades will be placed in the current middle school 
• 6th Grade – 8th Grades will be placed in the current high school
• 9th Grade – 12th Grade will be placed in the new building

"The plans are to build a new Woodruff High School and shift grade levels in the existing schools to provide classes for the student growth," District 4 Superintendent Rallie Liston said.  

There will be a tax increase for residents in the district if the bonds are approved in the referendum.

The tax increase breakdown would be: 

• Home values of $100,000 will have a $120 per year increase/ homestead exemption will have a $60 per year increase.

• Home values of $200,000 will have a $240 per year increase/ homestead exemption will have a $180 per year increase.

• Home values of $300,000 will have a $360 per year increase/ homestead exemption will have a $300 per year increase.

If voters do not approve the bond referendum, then the school will not be built. Portable classrooms will be purchased and used as enrollment increases over the next few years. District 4 says school "infrastructures such as cafeterias and gymnasiums will go untouched and will be undersized for the capacity of students." 

"It’s an exciting time, but it’s also a challenging time, but we are embracing it, and we are going to hope and pray for the best," Liston stated. "It’s going to take the voice of the people to build the school. It’s going to take people in the community, grandparents, relatives, and people that just care about the children; because that’s what it’s about."

More information regarding the referendum is available here.