History+of+Gilbert+Schools

**History of Gilbert Schools**
Information from Ann Moore from the New Building Dedication of GHS Sunday, November 17, 2002 ** Gilbert **** High School ** The Gilbert Public School system began in 1876 with the establishment of Lewiedale School. The system included community schools in Boiling Springs, Camp Branch, Centerville, Gilbert, Hollow Creek, Kerney Branch, Liberty Hill, Oakville, Oldfield, Pond Branch, Summit and Wateree. Several school buildings served the town of [|Gilbert] throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The first Gilbert schoolhouse, located on Lewie Street, was later converted into a church and eventually destroyed by fire. The second schoolhouse, erected in 1880 and used until 1911, was converted into a Masonic Lodge. The third building, erected in 1911 and used until 1923, was replaced by a brick, two-story building. The 1923 building program occurred as a result of increased enrollment – 52 high school students and 90 elementary school students. The grammar school was added to the campus in 1932. In the fall of 1953, the district consolidated all the school into one Gilbert Public School. In 1954 the district added a new building to the campus to house grades 1 through 6. The new building also included a kitchen, cafeteria and offices. The Gilbert area used this building until the district built a new elementary school on a separate campus in 1980. In 1979, the district constructed a new athletic complex and band room at the high school and remodeled three classrooms into two modern science labs. In the spring of 1986, the district demolished five of the older buildings and replaced them with up-to-date structures which included a new media center, additional classrooms and science labs. Improvements to the campus included gutting, renovating and air-conditioning the two-story 1954 building. At the same time, the [|Gilbert High Athletic Booster Club] spearheaded a drive to build a football stadium on the Gilbert High School campus. The booster club raised $146,000 in two years to build Tomahawk Stadium. [|Lexington County School District One] paid the remaining $91,000. The next construction phase began in the fall of 1989 when the district used lease/purchase money to finance a $2.5 million project which included a 1,000-seat cafetorium and classrooms for band, chorus, English, special education and art. Throughout the 1990s, the Gilbert community continued to grow. In 1993, grades 7 and 8 moved from the high school campus to a new middle school complex serving grades 5 though 8. Further growth brought about the need for portable classrooms on all campuses. To address the continued growth, the Lexington County School District One Board of Trustees moved ahead with plans for a new Gilbert High School building – financed using new state bond bill money and the district’s eight percent bond capacity. The district selected the Joint Venture Group (Jumper, Carter, Sease and Architects BC) to develop plans for the building and Martin engineering Inc. to serve as the general contracting firm. Building a new high school meant reconfiguring the other Gilbert schools. The district began planning to convert the original Gilbert High School building into an elementary school housing grades 3 through 5. Kindergarten through grade 2 would remain at the site that would become known as Gilbert Primary School. Construction of the new high school building began with a groundbreaking ceremony in March of 2001. The district purchased the land on the corner of Main Street and Old Two Notch Road from Dr. Rhett Gunter. The district procured additional land on campus for a softball field from Michael Grooms. Construction continued throughout that summer and over the course of the next school year. The community watched with eager anticipation as the building on the hill took shape. On August 8, 2002, anticipation became reality when 820 students, a certified staff of 63 and a support staff of 36 started classes in the new building. For less than $20 million, the new 230,000 square foot facility serves up to 1,500 students a year. The enviable educational complex with state-of-the-art laboratories for science, technology and careers, modern fine arts facilities and spacious sports fields enables students and staff to maximize their talents. The new [|Gilbert High School] building, designed with student success as its primary focus, will serve the students and the community well for years to come.

Information researched by Ms. M. Wright's classes. Page created by Janet Boltjes, GHS Library Media Specialist, on 4/13/2009 [|Gilbert High School Library Media Center] [|Gilbert High School Home Page]