PINE GROVE – Rock Hill School District’s two new facilities should be open for business starting this fall.

Tuesday, January 15, 2002

PINE GROVE – Rock Hill School District’s two new facilities should be open for business starting this fall.

Lloyd Evans, the district’s superintendent, said the new high school and the new elementary will be ready in the spring. Middle school students also will have a new home, moving into the current high school. Students will enter the school at the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year.

When all of the schools are complete, it will be the first time all Rock Hill students are located at one central area.

In addition to clearing the hurdles set by the Ohio School Facilities Commission – the district went a few rounds with the agency in order to get the financial go-ahead to build the new elementary and high school – the district passed a $3.79 million bond levy on its first try in May of 1998. The school district also kicked in enough money to finance some items the state agency wouldn’t fund, such as a new football stadium, two additional classrooms, a weight room and a locker room.

The district broke ground on the project two years ago, and Evans said school officials and the community are anxious to move into the new schools. Not only will students move into new schools, they will be moving into schools paid in full.

In an agreement with Duke Energy, the school district’s bond levy will be paid by the energy company as a part of a tax abatement program, the first time, Evans said, a Lawrence County school district became actively involved in a tax abatement program.

Under the agreement with Duke Energy, the power company will pay off the bond issue, relieving district residents of the 3.78 mil (a mil is 1/10 of a cent) burden on their property.

Dow Chemical also stepped in to help out the district paying the bond payment for last year.

Evans said the district will have an open house for the community sometime in the future after the buildings are complete and some of the furniture is in place.