The Wayne National Forest delivered a deed for 37 acres to Rock Hill Schools on Friday, one of the last moves toward the district’s construction of new school buildings.

Saturday, March 18, 2000

The Wayne National Forest delivered a deed for 37 acres to Rock Hill Schools on Friday, one of the last moves toward the district’s construction of new school buildings.

The district paid $45,000 for the property, the first such land exchange in the Wayne under a 1967 federal act designed to help schools, U.S. Forest Service realty specialist Rick Jones said.

The Wayne must use the money to purchase similar property within the forest.

Rock Hill superintendent Lloyd Evans said the land exchange will give the district more room for its elementary building, which would have been cramped for space otherwise.

And, Evans called the forest’s delivery of the deed perfect timing.

"We plan to award site work bids at Tuesday night’s board meeting," he said.

The site work will begin the first phase of construction for a new high school and the consolidated elementary, as well as renovation of the current high school to house middle school students.

Site work includes bulldozer work, constructing building pads and rough landscaping, Evans said.

"Receiving this deed today means the company can move in equipment as soon as the bid is awarded," he said.

The district’s partnership with the Wayne began last year with an idea to keep all the new buildings in a campus setting near the board office on County Road 26.

The district had already purchased a farm in Jackson County and swapped it to Meade Paper for a nearby 53 to 54 acres.

Voters said they wanted a one-story elementary school and the board agreed, but a one-story building for 1,138 students meant the building would take up almost all the available space allotted for it, Evans said.

Evans and the board convinced state officials that the district could purchase property from the Wayne to expand the elementary building site, and forest service officials began the paperwork.

"It’s important to note this is not something we could’ve done with a private individual," said Mike Baines, district ranger.

Because the forest is part of the Rock Hill community, the Wayne wanted to help the school district make its project something the community wanted, Baines said.

The Wayne was more than happy to help the district, Jones added.

"Overall it will make our project much better," Evans said.

The extra property will give the new elementary access to Township Road 218, a playground area and provide more space, he said.

"If it were not for the efforts of the forest service in assisting us with the additional property, we would not have had nearly as good a site as we have, Evans said.

Baines credited Jones and forest service staff for moving quickly on the joint project.

The district received $31 million in state building assistance funds for its new schools after school district residents approved a 4.28-mill tax levy in May 1998.