Pictured: S.C. Rep. Shedron Williams, State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman, Hampton County School District Chair Hannah Priester, and Hampton County School District Superintendent Dr. Ronald Wilcox. State Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman announced the allocation of $52 million in state funding to Hampton County School District to assist in the renovation and replacement of antiquated existing school facilities with safe, modern facilities to accommodate current and future county enrollment trends. The funding is part of the $140 million under Proviso 1.92 of the General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year 2022-2023. In April of 2022, the SCDE commissioned independent facility studies of schools in the state’s poorest counties to aid in decision making for capital funding appropriated by the General Assembly for disadvantaged schools. Hampton County is composed of 10 separate schools and a career and technology center. Current enrollment of the county-wide district is approximately 2,455 students. The funding being provided by the SCDE will be used to address the district’s most critical need as identified by the facility assessment team - the replacement of Wade Hampton High School. In addition to the funding for Hampton County, the agency has also made the following funding announcements: $38 Million in Infrastructure Funding for Abbeville County School District. $38 Million in Infrastructure Funding, $3 Million in Consolidation Funds for Clarendon County Schools. $38 Million in Infrastructure Funding for Lee County School District. $38 Million in Infrastructure Funding for Saluda County School District. $15 Million in Infrastructure Funding for Dillon County Schools. “The South Carolina Department of Education is thrilled to announce $52 million in state funding for the replacement of Wade Hampton High School,” Spearman said. “It is crucial that the state provides financial support for counties like Hampton that cannot afford to build new facilities on its own. Thank you to the South Carolina General Assembly for their generous support in making this funding possible.” “A resounding thank you to Superintendent Spearman and our legislators at the South Carolina State House and Senate for their support and making this funding available,” said Dr. Ron Wilcox, superintendent of Hampton County School Distric. “Our students and educators deserve safe, state of the art facilities to learn and grow in each day. Next year, the district will combine Estill High School and Wade Hampton High School into the consolidated Hampton County High School. "We cannot wait for the building process to begin as we anticipate with excitement opening the doors of the new high school for all of our students in Hampton County.”
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