Pressed by growing enrollment, Lexington 1 plans to build 3 new schools.
All 3 will be near busy roads – US 1 near Gilbert, SC 6 in the White Knoll area and Old Cherokee Road, the “northern bypass” around downtown Lexington.
The district will build elementary schools in Gilbert and White Knoll and a new Lexington Middle School to replace the one in town.
To ease congestion near the schools, the district said it will make improvements required by state transportation officials such as road widening at site entrances, exits and turn lanes.
Because many parents drive to the schools twice daily, up to 4,000 linear feet of stacking will let more vehicles move onto the campus and out of the traffic flow, district representative Mary Beth Hill said.
She did not gives specifics of what the district may do about traffic problems the new schools will create. 
“I don’t see problems with the Gilbert school,” said trustee Jada Garris who with Kyle Guyton were the only 2 who voted against the SC 6 land purchase.
“US 1 is a 4-lane road and can handle the extra load. 
“SC 6 is a different story. Unless the road is widened before the school is built, (scheduled for 2022-2023) I see traffic being a problem. 
“That site is on the edge of the district’s attendance line, which means after they redraw attendance lines, traffic in that area will be heading towards the new school from several different directions. Although they are talking about putting the parent drive on Bluefield to alleviate traffic on SC 6, they said there is a possibility that Bluefield will require road work, so you’re looking at new problems.
“They might be able to convince a few people that there are no sites suitable for a middle school in the town of Lexington, but there’s no way they can get away with that same story on SC 6 in the White Knoll area, which is what they are trying to do.”
“Suggested road frontage for a school is 1,200 linear feet. On Cherokee Trail there is less than 800 feet and on Old Cherokee less than 1,000 feet.”