Building West Ashley’s Future

By next Christmas, the Charleston County School District will likely be ready to throw open the doors on a “new” K-5 elementary school in West Ashley — St. Andrew’s School for Math and Science.
Drive by its construction site at its longtime address on Chadwick Dr. in the Old Windermere neighborhood and all you’ll see now is a mud pit, ringed by cinderblock walls and rebar. But have a little vision, and the future for the school is impressive.
SAMS principal Amy Cario was excited to report recently that construction of the new, 755-student, 36-classroom, two-story, $33 million facility is “right on track.” The school, originally St. Andrews Elementary, was established in 1950 and at first served close to only 150 students.
“We are going to be ready to move in next December,” Cario said, with students being welcome in the New Year of 2015.
“They’ve poured and plumbed the floor for the cafeteria, and every week I keep up with what’s going on through aerial shots the district sends me,” said the principal from her school’s temporary home – the former Oakland Elementary buildings just past the onramps at the terminus of I-526.
Right now, in its nascent form, her “new” school just looks, in Cario’s word, “big.”
“This has been a long time coming,” said Cario, who said she was most excited about the schools STEM theme – science, technology, engineering and math – will be reflected in the design elements of the school, including a teaching wall map in the third grade’s area.
Bill Lewis, chief operating officer for capital programs for the district, said that “weather permitting,” the schedule will be met. But, he warned, another spring like the one earlier this year could present some challenges.
“If this spring is as wet as it was last spring, with all that rain, then no promises,” said Lewis.
Record rainfalls stymied work crews, said Lewis, who praised the district, the School Board, and county residents for their continuing commitment to remaking the facilities of the district.
Lewis stressed that despite delays, no cost has been added, so far, to the school’s budget.