Construction started on new Pendleton High School to fill need of growing school district

Construction has begun on a new Pendleton High School.

The Anderson County District Four board of trustees voted 5-0 on Aug. 15, 2023, to approve a $115 million bond referendum for the proposed Anderson School District 4 "Growing 4ward" 10-Year Facility Plan. A public referendum vote to approve the construction plan took place on Nov. 7.

Thompson Turner Construction is building the new high school, according to Dee Christopher, Anderson District 4 superintendent. The district, architects, and Thompson Turner Construction will collaborate to complete the design.

According to Project Executive Trevein Thompson, preliminary construction started in March. "It involves utility prep, parking lot layout, clearing the land, removing debris, and leveling the ground for the foundation of the new high school," Thompson said.

Thompson said the high school will be between 225,000 and 235,000 square feet. The primary construction process will start on June 1 and is expected to be completed in two years by June 2026.

The new high school will also feature a state-of-the-art track, stadium, and a baseball and softball complex.

Anderson School District Four plans to finance the $148 million project over 10 years through bonds and other resources, according to asd4growing4ward.com.

Why does Pendleton need a new high school?

"Enrollment has grown rapidly, and classroom capacity will be exceeded by 2026-27," Christopher said. "We have seen growth of over 300 students in the last three years."

As of the 2020 census, Anderson County's population was 203,718. The population has grown by 2.04% since the last census in 2020.

More than 1,100 additional students are expected before 2032, according to asd4growing4ward.com.

Christopher said the New Pendleton High School will now have enough space to accommodate 1,200 students, with a core facility for 1,500 students.

"The addition of facilities like a cafeteria, gym, and auditorium will provide more space for students," Christopher said.

What's next for Pendleton High School Middle and Elementary?

Riverside Middle School will be relocated to the current Pendleton High School.

Sixth-grade students will move to the middle school, 200 additional students will be added to Mt. Lebanon Elementary School, where currently 479 are enrolled, and some elementary schools and athletic facilities will be upgraded.

"These adjustments were needed in our community, and they are going to push us into the future," Christopher said.

Sophomore Jada Chastain will have already graduated by the time the new Pendleton High School is completed, but she said, "I think it's a really good idea that they are building a new high school; our current high school is getting to the point where we can barely add any new students."

Christopher said this new Pendleton High School will give the district the space to handle growth over the next 10 years and beyond.

If population growth continues as expected, the district must make a new assessment in 2030 to examine future facility needs.

Travis Rose covers Anderson County for the Independent Mail. Reach him via email at trose@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Anderson Independent Mail: Construction begins on new Pendleton High School, expected in June 2026