Here’s what must happen for Clover district’s new $156M high school to open on time

Plenty of work remains for the Clover School District to hit its opening date target for a second high school.

For the community, the name, mascot and school colors all must be worked out. For the district, it’s key approvals for the construction site that need to be sorted out.

School district voters approved a $156 million bond referendum last fall to fund a new high school in the Lake Wylie area, off the road that just changed from Daimler Boulevard to Cannonball Run. The planned 2,100-student school would open in 2026.

Mark Hopkins, the district chief operating officer, told the school board Monday night there are several pressing issues that will determine whether the district can hit that mark.

“We’re really backing up against our timeline for a ‘26 opening,” Hopkins said.

Does high growth lead to better schools? Look at Lake Wylie, Fort Mill, Indian Land

The high school site still needs U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permits. Hopkins expects feedback in February or March on culvert crossings on the site. The district also needs site plan approval from York County.

The district found out Oct. 18 that its second attempt at a site plan approval was denied by the county. District and county officials met, and a third submission was made Nov. 20. The main issues, Hopkins said, were a traffic impact analysis update and whether the construction plan could avoid the removal of large trees on the property.

“We hope to get some feedback on that in early December, and hopefully that feedback is good,” Hopkins said.

York County Council passed two of three votes needed to remove a requirement from a 2008 land development agreement that otherwise would make the school district connect Cannonball Run to West Liberty Hill Road through its property.

The district delayed bid opening for the site to this Thursday. Hopkins said final approvals from the county would allow a contractor to start moving dirt on the high school site as soon as possible.

All that phase one work involves the high school land. Phase two involves the building.

On Oct. 23, the district began soliciting requests from contractors. Building design is complete and construction cost estimates should be ready in mid-January, Hopkins said.

County approval of the site plan and road connection change, approval of a sewer pump station and markets for both labor and materials are all key questions that need to be resolved if the high school is to open on time.

Clover officials got creative to build new school in Lake Wylie. What it’ll cost you

Lake Wylie high school name, mascot, colors

Monday’s construction update follows one earlier this month on school naming and branding.

District public information officer Bryan Dillon updated the board Nov. 13 on a community survey that ran in October to get input on name, mascot and color options. The survey involved the new high school, but also a planned elementary and middle school.

The elementary and middle school surveys collected fewer than 800 responses. The high school survey alone brought in about 1,600 participants.

Dillon presented a list of nearly a dozen high school names that came up most often. Surveys went with Allison Creek, Bethel, Cannonball, Clay Hill, East Clover, Handsmill, Lake Wylie or Wylie, Liberty Hill, Oakridge, Riverside and Roosevelt. There were lots of responses in particular, Dillon said, for Lake Wylie.

“You do see a clear favorite there,” Dillon said.

Allison Creek was another popular name in the surveys.

As for the mascot, surveys went with continuity over creativity. Clover High School, which serves the entire district now, has the Blue Eagle as its mascot.

“Eagles did pop up a lot,” Dillon said. “That came in with some extra comments along with it — we’re all eagles, we’ve always been eagles, we should remain eagles, those sorts of things.”

Golden eagles was the most popular version on the new high school survey. Non-eagle options include gators, hawks and patriots.

“Wylie coyote came up a lot,” Dillon said. “There’s a lot of Roadrunner fans.”

Dillon didn’t break down school color choices from the survey. “Those were all over the place with every imaginable color listed,” Dillon said.

If Fort Mill and Clover schools grow the same way, why does one get so much more cash?

Frequent responses for the new middle school name were Bethel, Central, Elias Hill, Flatrock, Herb Kirsh, Paraham and Roosevelt.

“You didn’t have any one that really stood out the most,” Dillon said.

Eagles, tigers and hawks were among the more popular mascot suggestions.

For the elementary school, popular name suggestions were Allison Creek, Clover, Elias Hill, Flatrock, Iron Hill, Lake Wylie, Lakeside, Laney, Liberty Hill, Mountainview, Nanny’s Mountain, River and Roosevelt. Variations of eagle were most popular mascot picks, along with gators and tigers.

The district now moves to focus groups ahead of formal recommendations to the school board for all three school names, mascots and color schemes in February.