STEELE CREEK NEWS

School Board Retains Steele Creek Projects for 2007 Bond

(July 29, 2007) At its July 24 meeting, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education pared down the list of projects to be funded from the proposed 2007 bonds to fall within the $516 Million total approved by the Mecklenburg County Commissioners earlier this month. All six Steele Creek projects approved by the board in April were retained on the current list.

The current list includes 39 projects totaling $486 million, plus $30 for site acquisition. Projects within Steele Creek are:

•  #5  - New elementary school at Dixie River Road (Berewick) - $16,896,000
  
• #17 - New elementary school in York Road/Red Fez Club Road area - $16,896,000
  
• #24 - New elementary school on Hamilton Road at Smith Road - $16,896,000
  
• #25 - Roofing at Olympic - $385,000
  
• #27 - Track and field at Olympic - $935,000
  
• #38 - Stadium at Olympic - $5,527,500

The new elementary school in the Berewick community is badly needed to relieve Steele Creek Elementary School. The two new elementary schools in southern Steele Creek are in response to anticipated rapid growth in that area. The new Winget park Elementary School opened last fall and helped relieve Lake Wylie Elementary, but due to booming population in Steele Creek, trailers already are planned at the new school,

Improvements to Olympic athletic facilities would have been funded by the bond issue that failed in 2005.

The bond package must go back to the Board of County Commissioners, who will decide on whether to place the bond package on the November ballot. This decision likely will be on the Commissioners' August. 14 agenda.

To view the current list of projects, see Proposed Prioritized Project List, 2007 Bond.