As Midlands high school’s new wing takes shape, leaders consider what they might add to it
Voters in the area only approved a new school bond last November, but the expansion of Irmo High School is already well underway.
The Lexington-Richland 5 school district decided back in 2021 to invest $50 million in constructing a new wing of the high school on St. Andrews Road. Now approximately 60% completed, the new wing will replace the 60-year-old building students are currently using on the other side of campus.
On Thursday, administrators and members of the school board went on a tour of the building under construction, donning hard hats to walk through the three-story building even as workers laid brick on the exterior.
The new wing is expected to be open to students and faculty in the later part of 2026. But the district is so pleased with progress on the new building so far, they are already looking at what they can do next.
“We’re excited, because now with the bond referendum, we can add on to it,” Superintendent Akil Ross said after Thursday’s tour. “We’re looking at architectural plans now ... for an additional student center and cafeteria.”
The $240 million bond referendum voters approved last year included $30 million for a small business incubation center at Irmo High School. The current shell of a building was funded with money from energy savings and funding from federal coronavirus relief measures.
To date, Ross estimates the district has spent approximately $39.5 million on the project, or “$329 per square foot,” the superintendent said.
The 120,000-square-foot facility will feature more than 50 new classrooms for English, social studies, science and math, plus an expansive media center and new administration offices, as well as what will effectively be the new front entrance to the school, connecting to the west wing from the lobby.
Around 70 workers are putting the new wing together as classes continue next door. The new wing was designed by LS3P architects, and is being built by EdCon and managed by Brownstone.
Chief architect Mary Beth Branham touted the large windows that will take up much of the front of the building, providing a flood of natural light for the interiors.
“It’s makes for a wonderful transition,” she said.
Branham leads a team of 10 architects and designers who specialize in school construction. They wanted to make sure that the new building reflects Irmo High.
“It’s a fresh look. There’s a lot of branding, a lot of school colors,” she said, highlighting a “history wall” in the lobby they hope to cover with images from the Irmo High of times gone by.
Ross thinks the modern, high-tech building will provide the perfect environment for launching the next generation of Irmo students.
“It’s exciting to see plans come up out of the ground,” Ross said.
This story was originally published March 28, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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