Widely anticipated Scout Motors auto plant may impact Richland County schools. Here’s how
Scout Motors’ plans to build a major auto manufacturing plant in Blythewood may cause Richland School District 2 to accelerate plans to build several more schools to meet expected growth.
“We know there’s going to be an impact,” said Will Anderson, Richland 2’s chief operation’s officer. “It’s going to mean a lot more families in the area.”
The $2 billion development has been lauded as the single largest economic investment to come to Richland County. Plans for the electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Blythewood promise to bring 4,000 jobs to the Midlands. The area already has five elementary, three middle and two high schools.
While it’s unclear how many of Scout’s prospective employees are already located in the Midlands, the district is preparing for a significant influx. Scout alone will bring more people to the community, Anderson said, but the development will inevitably bring other businesses and economic development too.
“It’s a great thing,” he said.
Right now, Richland 2 grows by about 300-500 students per year, Anderson said, but the electric vehicle manufacturer will mean the district’s need for new schools will be sooner that initially thought.
Richland 2 owns plots of unused land, as well as land near existing schools, that could be used for expansion, Anderson said. Even before Scout’s announcement, the district had already identified sites the district already owns for three elementary schools, one middle school and one high school.
The Scout Motors development is slated for a 1,600-acre property that was zoned for manufacturing, so Anderson said it wasn’t out of the blue. It will be part of a growing industrial park on Interstate 77.
“We knew something was going to happen,” Anderson said. “We stay abreast of all residential and commercial development.”
Anderson said this makes accommodating the expected growth a little easier on the district. If the district hadn’t already acquired the properties, their price would’ve skyrocketed after Scout’s announcement.
The district is still calculating its next steps, but optimistic about Scout’s potential.
“It’s exciting news,” said Lindsay Agostini, the Richland 2 board chair. “Hopefully we can develop a great working relationship with them to benefit our community.”
Preparing the district from an operational standpoint is the real challenge, Anderson said, including making sure there are enough staff, from teachers to bus drivers to fill schools, both new and existing. The district recently approved a $3,000 hiring bonus for teachers, the largest in the Midlands, in hopes of drawing more employees in.
But Anderson said the district has time to mull over the impact of Scout’s Motors. The company plans to break ground by mid-2023 but likely won’t start actually building new vehicles until the end of 2026.
“Nothing is happening overnight,” he said. “We’re in a good situation.”
The district is also hoping to partner with neighboring school districts in Fairfield and Kershaw counties to help serve the area’s future families.
