District completes capital improvements

Charleston County School District (CCSD) is committed to maintaining the public’s trust by being proactive in maintaining the educational facilities they own.

“Repeated studies show that the indoor environment of a school has an impact on students,” said Ron Kramps, Executive Director of Facilities Management. “A safe, healthy, comfortable environment – that works all the time – enhances student learning.”

Projects are prioritized by request, need, available funding and board direction from the CCSD Board of Trustees, Kramps explained.

In 2014, the district performed a condition assessment of all CCSD facilities. The results were analyzed, and the facilities team works continuously to prioritize, plan, and execute projects to improve facility conditions.

“We know that facility improvements and maintenance helps students succeed and it eliminates distractions for teachers and principals,” said Kramps. “If everything works in the facility, teachers can focus on teaching.”

Often, projects include repairs to older buildings that are not funded for replacement.

“The responsible thing to do is to take care of facility systems in a proactive way,” said Kramps. “We know the life cycle of facility systems such as paint and roofing, and we can plan for replacement of those systems.”

The Facilities Management Department completed over 450 projects of various sizes in the last fiscal year. Those projects ranged in cost from hundreds to several million dollars each.

“When we maintain facilities like we know how to do, they end up costing less over their life cycle,” said Kramps. “We always want to be preventative and predictive.”

Highlights from this summer include:

• $406,782 in painting at Minnie Hughes Elementary School
• $240,000 in flooring at Pepperhill Elementary School
• $250,000 in flooring at St. Johns High School
• $432,605 for replacing the driveway/parking at St James-Santee Elementary School
• $300,016 in paving (seal coat) for Wando High School
• $500,000 in painting and roofing at North Charleston Elementary School
• $535,000 in door and hardware replacements at nine other schools
• $471,831 in restroom renovations at Mary Ford Elementary School and Midland Park Elementary School
• $404,178 in new windows for Midland Park Elementary School
• $839,294 in flooring and painting at Drayton Hall Elementary School
• $775,000 in flooring and doors/hardware at Baptist Hill MS/HS
• $1,476,673 in air conditioning at West Ashley High School
• $1,332,633 in roof, air conditioning, and painting at James Island Elementary School
• $1,546,370 in air condition at Burke High School
• $1,673,378 in roofing and painting at North Charleston High School
• $1.8 million in alterations and repairs to Edith Frierson Elementary School to convert to a Montessori program
• $2 million in renovations at East Cooper Montessori Charter
• $2,676,685 million in roof, air conditioning, and painting at Ladson Elementary School
• $4.6 million in air conditioning, roof, and fire protection for half of Belle Hall Elementary School
• $4 million for a new roof at West Ashley High School
• Synthetic turf courtyard at Sanders Clyde Elementary School
• Eleven new playgrounds including those at the new construction schools and Mt. Zion Elementary School, W.B. Goodwin Elementary School, North Charleston Elementary School, Hunley Park Elementry School, Drayton Hall Elementary School, and Memminger Elementary School.

For more information, contact the Office of Strategy and Communication at (843) 937-6303.

About the Charleston County School District

Charleston County School District (CCSD) is the second largest school system in South Carolina representing a unique blend of urban, suburban, and rural schools spanning 1,300 square miles along the coast. CCSD serves more than 50,000 students in 87 schools and specialized programs. With approximately 6,100 employees district-wide, CCSD is the fourth largest employer in the region.

CCSD offers a diverse, expanding portfolio of options and specialized programs, delivered through neighborhood, charter, magnet, IB (international baccalaureate), and Montessori schools, and is divided into three Learning Communities. Options include specialized programs in science, engineering and mathematics; liberal arts; music and other creative and performing arts; career and technical preparation programs; and military and other public service enterprises.