Some Dorchester Dist. 4 students start new year in brand new school [Video]

DORCHESTER, S.C. (WCSC) – A new middle school is open and ready for Dorchester District 4 students on the first day of the school year.

The new, nearly $45 million Woodland Middle School, off of Highway 78, will be the new home for students from the now-closed St. George Middle School and Harleyville-Ridgeville Middle School.

Harleyville Elementary School, which shares the middle school campus, remains open for elementary students.

Faculty estimate 450 students will attend on the first day. This number does not include anticipated student enrollment in the coming months.

The new middle school and other district buildings will start a scattered bell system. Schools will begin later than last year. The elementary schools begin at 7:30 a.m., middle schools at 8:50 a.m. and high schools at 9 a.m.

The new bell schedule is designed to ease the load for district bus drivers. The school district is facing a …