Bill limiting school spending on hold

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Senators representing Greenville County agreed to hold the bill until the entire legislative delegation can debate it. That action came after senators met with school officials and also were told that the bill could hurt the district's credit rating.

Sen. David Thomas, who authored the bill, said after the meeting that the district's building program "appears out of control."

Thomas said he filed the bill to make the school district face the same requirement with reassessment that all local governments have to meet — that money generated from increased property values be rolled back to prevent a windfall.

School officials traveled to Columbia to argue that they likely will need money from the current reassessment because of new school and maintenance needs that came after the district began its 70-building construction program.

"Frankly, I think the public has paid, and they think it's a gracious plenty," Thomas said. "They have been willing to put up brand new schools across Greenville County. The question is where to draw the line. The school district wants a blank check."

District Superintendent Penny Fisher said the district needs the money because its student population is growing by 1,000 students a year and because 30 school buildings weren't part of the construction program and need regular maintenance.

"Without a doubt, we need it," she said of the reassessment funds.

Bob Hughes, the managing partner with Institutional Resources, the agency managing the district's construction plan, said more than 20 percent of the school's revenue stream is used for maintenance.

Fisher said that pays for things such as heating and cooling repairs, technology improvements, building laboratories and new classrooms.

Greenville officials have sold $968 million in bonds for the schools project, which is expected to pay for 70 schools or an estimated $933 million worth of construction. The cost of the program has increased between $150 million and $200 million since it began due to expanded plans and an increase in the cost of materials, officials have said.

Officials told senators Wednesday that the current plan was designed to eventually lower the millage rate. They said the district's revenues have been hurt the last three years by a tax base growth rate of 1 percent.

Asked why, if current revenues are enough to pay for the construction bonds used for the current program, the district couldn't roll back its millage following reassessment, Hughes answered, "The constitution gives the school district the right to determine what it has for its capital needs whether it does this program or any other program."

That brought an exclaim of shock from Thomas. "I asked you a question about your income stream and you talk to me about rights?" Thomas asked.

Sen. Verne Smith of Greer, who chaired the meeting, said after officials had finished their briefing that while he wasn't criticizing Thomas' motives in drafting the bill, he also was opposed to it.

"I just want to be sure we don't do anything to harm our schools," he said.