Marlboro County School District selects architectural firm for school

An architectural firm that will design the new elementary school to replace Blenheim Elementary/Middle School has been selected by members of the Marlboro County School District.

SFL+A Architects was selected by members of the board during a recent regular meeting at Marlboro County High School, said Randall Malichi, director of public information.

The school would include kindergarten through eighth grade.

Marlboro County residents passed an $18 million bond referendum in November to build the school to replace the aging Blenheim school, which was built in 1953.

Also during the meeting, Wes Park, the district’s director of finance, discussed the board’s budget workshops scheduled for April 20 and 27.

Both workshops will be at 6:30 p.m. in the media center of Marlboro County High School, 951 Fayetteville Ave., Bennettsville.

Park said he will talk with the board about staffing standards and give an update on anticipated revenues for the general fund as well as the effect of stimulus funding for Title I and Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) accounts.

Park said the district will receive additional Title I and IDEA funding from federal stimulus funding, but he still isn’t sure of whether schools districts will have access to stabilization funds.

If the district is able to use the stabilization funds, it would only offset future revenue decline for 2009 and 2010. It wouldn’t restore revenue to prior funding levels.

The district has had to absorb at least $2.2 million in state budget cuts this school year.

The district’s Education Improvement Act and Education Finance Act funds had been cut at least 18 percent and 11.5 percent, respectively.

First and second reading of the budget is scheduled for May 5 and 19, respectively.

Third and final reading is scheduled for June 2.

The board also approved the traditional and extended-year calendars for the 2009-10 school year; a resolution authorizing the refunding of the 1998 General Obligation bond that was used for McColl

Elementary/Middle School; and a resolution for the installment purchase revenue bonds for projects in the district.