Berkeley County School District presents $118 million capital budget

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) - The Berkeley County School District is set to present a $118 million capital budget at the Board of Education meeting on Monday that will fund a new school.

The school district plans to use $25 million to fund facilities and capital projects. This includes money for land acquisition for a potential site for a new high school in the Jedburg area. The plans are currently in the discussion phase, and the district is allocating almost $2 million for the project.

Marcie Abrahamson, Berkeley County School District Chief Financial Officer, says land acquisition is getting harder and harder with more people moving to the county.

“We are looking for potential land and identifying sites, and so we want to put that money aside because, as you know, with the growth and everything, land and building are becoming more expensive,” Abrahamson said. “We want to make sure we have that funding available if we find the right piece of property.”

Berkeley County has experienced a rapid increase in population growth, with experts estimating it will have nearly 400,000 residents by 2040. School district officials say the population growth is also reflected within the schools.

“We weren’t ahead of that growth,” Abrahamson said. “So, we’re trying to play catch-up, and that is why we are trying to now diligently plan ahead so that we’re not in this position again.”

This comes after Berkeley County School District began building two new schools last year, including Nexton Middle School and Jedburg Elementary School. They are also currently remodeling Hanahan Middle School.

The new schools are expected to open their doors to students in August 2026.

Berkeley County School District is one of the biggest districts in the Lowcountry and is the fourth-largest school system in the state. Within the school district, there are 22 elementary schools, nine middle schools, eight high schools and one alternative school.

The current high schools in Berkeley are Berkeley High, with 3,200 students; Cane Bay High, with 2,490 students; Cross High, with 294 students; Goose Creek High, with 2,002 students; Hanahan High, with 1,048 students; Philip Simmons High, with 809 students; Stratford High, with 2,710 students; and Timberland High, with 724 students.

Money in the new budget would add a high school to that list.

The school district says there is a bit of overcrowding throughout the school district, and all of the new schools will help solve the issue. Some of the schools in the district have had to set up mobile units and strategically plan lunch schedules because of the overcrowding.

“We’d much rather have another school that we can transfer those kids to,” Abrahamson said.

The budget will also be used to pay off previous debt the school district has from trying to keep up with the county’s growth. Money will also be used for upgrades to media centers and furniture replacement.

To learn more about the capital project budget, click here.