FLORENCE, SC (WBTW) – The end of the school year usually marks the beginning of summer vacation. However, for staff and students at Delmae Heights Elementary School it’s just one step closer towards moving into their new school.
“A new school just provides the opportunity for us just to take what we are already doing, in my opinion, very well here and putting it in a brand new building,” said principal Roy Ann Jolley.
The new Delmae Heights Elementary will be able to house over 1,200 students, double the amount students now.
“It will eventually house 5th grade. So Delmae will eventually become a K-5 school,” mentioned Jolley.
The new Davis Elementary was built to alleviate some of the overcrowding at both Delmae and Carver. At that time we lost about 200 students. So we’ve gone from over a little over 800 to a little 600 students,” she explained.
Once the new school is done, crews will turn the old one into a parking lot. The work should be completed in time for the start of the 2017-18 school year.
While work continues on building a new school, work will also start on the South Cashua Drive widening project.
“One of the things about Delmae, we have more students that arrive in cars in buses,” Jolley stated.
The project will expand S. Cashua Dr. from two to four lanes.
“Our car line in the morning and the afternoon expands from the school entrance all the way back down to U.S. 76,” said Jolley.
Delmae is not going to change as a school when we move into a new building. We will still be a family oriented school,” she said.
There’s no timeline for when the S. Cashua Dr. widening project will be complete.
