Plans for new Claxton Elementary School unveiled
MBI President Bill Steverson presented this plan for a new elementary school in Claxton at the July 11s Anderson County Board of Education meeting. (photo:Ben Pounds )
The school will be in the Claxton community at the former site of Crossroads Christ Fellowship Church, 105 Fellowship Lane.
The county bought the land for $3 million in July 2023.
The architecture firm MBI Companies’ president, Bill Steverson, showed the current plans at the July 11 school board meeting.
“This is all very early schematic plans,” Steverson said regarding what he presented.
He said he didn’t want the entrance to be off Clinton Highway due to “safety and traffic,” so he spoke in favor of creating a new road off Raccoon Valley Road, coming up through existing properties to the school.
He said bus traffic would go up and around the building, while cars would drop off children at a different entrance. Both entrances would connect to the gym and cafeteria area.
The plan involves using the old church building’s footprint for a wing of the school that includes the gym and cafeteria.
If needed, staff can close this section off from the rest of the school to host events.
A stage would be split between the two rooms.
Classrooms would be in a separate added-on wing, beginning with HeadStart and going through fifth grade.
This section would also host the music, art, and Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) labs.
The library and administrative offices would be in the center of this area.
Steverson said the STEM labs would be the place students would gather during a severe weather event.
He added that it would save money to build the new school as much as possible on the same “shelf” of land as the church.
The school would also have a regulation practice football field.
School board Chairman Scott Gillenwaters spoke of a community meeting to further discuss ideas for the school, but he did not set a date or time.
Anderson County Schools Director Tim Parrott said the designs were on dispay in booths at the Anderson County Fair, which ended Saturday.
Parrott in the past has listed several problems with the current Claxton Elementary School at 2218 Clinton Highway, including its older plumbing and electrical systems.
Another issue involves the site’s multiple buildings, which he said are more difficult to secure.