Greenville County Schools updates future facilities plan

Greenville County Schools annually updates its long-range facilities plan and capital improvement program.

The planning document outlines future facility renovations, additions and replacements needed to maintain the district’s infrastructure and address student enrollment needs. New equipment purchases and security enhancements are also detailed within the document.

The district’s Board of Trustees reviewed the proposed updates to the long-range facilities plan and capital improvement program during a workshop on March 10. The updated planning document will be presented at the board’s Committee of the Whole meeting on April 14 for initial approval.

Proposed facility projects

A major change proposed for the long-range facilities plan and capital improvement program involves the J Harley Bonds Career Center in Greer. The facility was originally built in 1954 as the former Greer High School.

GCS previously planned to complete an approximately $10 million renovation of the facility’s culinary arts and administrative areas. District administration is now recommending a full demolition and replacement of the career center, estimated to cost approximately $62.24 million.

Superintendent Burke Royster said the original $10 million price tag for the project would have gone up significantly based on the district’s analysis of the current condition of the facility. He said the actual renovation cost would have ended up being more than 50% of the cost of building a new facility.

“We’re talking about a building that’s now approaching 75 years old. That’s pretty much the lifespan of a building. There’s also space there we don’t need” Royster said. “We’ve got the opportunity to build something that is more conducive to its purpose instead of repurposing a regular high school.”

The updated planning document also proposes accelerating the construction timeline for the new West Greenville School by two years, with expected occupancy now in 2031. Scott Carlin, GCS executive director of facilities, said the adjusted construction timeline is expected to decrease the project’s overall cost by $1.8 million.

The new facility for West Greenville School will be built on the former Donaldson Career Center site at 100 Vocational Drive in Greenville. GCS plans to build the new Donaldson Career Center on an 18.23-acre site adjacent to Chapel Road, with expected occupancy in August 2029.

Other proposed facility projects include:

Extending car rider loops at Bethel Elementary, Bryson Elementary, Greenbrier Elementary, Skyland Elementary and Wade Hampton High School
Renovating and restoring the concrete bleachers at Greenville High’s Sirrine Stadium
Installing bi-directional amplifiers in school buildings to ensure adequate first responder radio communication
Purchasing robotic sweepers and scrubbers for school cleaning
Upgrading stadium lighting systems with LED fixtures
Increasing funding for land acquisition

The school district issues general obligation bonds each year to finance its capital improvement program. Robin Stack, the school district’s chief finance officer, said funding the updated capital improvement program would be within the district’s current bond funding structure with no anticipated millage increase.

The board will also be requested to authorize the transfer of $33.8 million from the district’s unassigned general fund to the building fund to help fund the capital improvement program.

Population and enrollment insights

Greenville County Schools is seeing slowed growth in enrollment. The school district’s total population decreased from 78,115 students in 2024 to 76,571 students in 2025.

Source: Greenville County Schools

***

Completed and future facility projects

(Expected occupancy dates in parentheses)