• New sewer project could have school ready by August 2008.

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

Plans to re-open the closed Nakina Alternative School as a middle school have one major hurdle: an outdated sewer system that couldn’t get state approval for the capacity needed.

With water projects and sewer infrastructure coming to portions of the southern area of the county, the opportunity for a way to jump that hurdle seemed clear.

Columbus County School officials want the county to seek sewer service from Grand Strand Water and Sewer (GSWSA) in Horry County, S.C.

In a Dec. 3 letter to former Columbus County Board of Commissioners Chairman Sammie Jacobs, Columbus County Schools Superintendent Dan Strickland explained that the system at the school is insufficient to handle the expected daily flow of close to 3,000 gallons when the school opens in August of 2008.

“The school system is desperately seeking alternatives that will provide sewer to Nakina Middle School as well as to Guideway Elementary School,” Strickland wrote. “The only two alternatives are for the school system to purchase additional property for an offsite sewer system because onsite soils are not suitable for a larger sewer system which is needed for the Nakina Middle School.

“Our other option is to go to public sewer,” Strickland explained.

GSWSA has agreed to install about nine miles of 8-inch force main line and a separate pump station at both Nakina and Guideway schools as part of the $1 million project.

According to Strickland’s letter, the S.C. utility has committed to $1 million of the costs associated with the construction of the system.

Columbus County has applied for a $500,000 grant from the Rural Center for county costs and the school district is committed to pay $250,000 for connect fees and land purchased for the pump stations.

At a public hearing held in June on the closure of the Nakina Alternative School, Strickland announced plans for reopening the school as a middle school.

More than 150 Nakina, Guideway and Old Dock residents attended the meeting. Many applauded the closure and spoke in favor of opening the school as a middle school.

Strickland explained, at that time, that Old Dock Elementary and Guideway Elementary schools were overflowing with students in grades kindergarten through eighth.

He said future housing projects and subdivisions could add hundreds of new families to the area and place a greater demand for space at the cramped schools.

Once made into a middle school, the sixth, seventh and eighth grades from both Guideway and Old Dock schools would be housed at Nakina.

Kindergarten through fifth grades would remain at the elementary schools.

The school couldn’t open this year, primarily due to costly work needed for the sewer to meet state regulations, Strickland said.