The district hosted what it called “community listening sessions” in Darlington, Hartsville and Lamar to gauge community response based on a facilities study conducted in 2024 that appraised “condition, capacity, and long-term viability” of campuses in the district, according to a March statement.

The study updated prior research in 2012 and 2019, taking into account new enrollment data and input from district and school officials.

Audrey Childers, chief communications officer for the district, said in an email, “We received a wide range of feedback from families, staff and community members, both in person at our meetings and online through our feedback form. Key themes included the need for modern, safe facilities; concerns about the locations of proposed new schools; and a strong desire to improve student spaces without raising taxes.”

“Stakeholders also emphasized the importance of transparency and consistent communication throughout the process,” she added.

Childers said the Darlington County Board of Education will review community input, as well as additional polling and studies to finalize a facilities plan, upon which the board would vote to put it on the ballot as a referendum.

“The referendum will appear on the November ballot, giving our community the opportunity to decide,” Childers said. "With voter approval, the district will move forward with the projects as approved. Without it, we will continue providing the best possible education within our current facilities.”

While the district has invested in new schools or revamped existing ones in the past 20 years, some buildings are more than 75 years old, the statement said.

The 2024 study evaluated how aging facilities serve elementary school students in Darlington and examined “significant challenges at the [Hartsville] high school level due to the size, layout, and age of the campus.”

The district proposed a $230 million revamp of facilities at a school board workshop in February. The plan calls for a new elementary school at Darlington Middle School, a new Hartsville High School near Kellytown Stadium and a new middle school at Lamar-Spaulding Elementary School.

Darlington County School District serves almost 9,000 students across four high schools, three middle schools, 10 elementary schools, an intervention school, a digital academy and the Darlington County Institute of Technology, the statement said.