Lexington District 1 has agreed to pay $982,980 for 54.61 acres in Pelion.

The school board plans to use the land for a future middle school.

The price is $15,000 an acre.

The sellers are Hugh Nichols of Lexington and Jean Haggard of Pelion. Mrs. Haggard is a retired Pelion High School principal.

Local real estate broker Ted McGee said $15,000 an acre is a fair price for a buyer such as the school district to pay for property that meets its specific needs.

District spokesperson Mary Beth Hill said who owns the property has nothing to do with the sale.

“Some people have expressed a belief that the district purchased this site because of its past relationship with the owners,” she said.

“That is ridiculous.”

Hill said buying property is an intricate process.

Many Lexington County and state departments of Education and Transportation rules affect decisions.

“The first thing we do when we look at a piece of land is determine the location,” she said. “Does the location meet the district’s current and future needs?

“Is the property the size we need? Typical site sizes run roughly 20-30 acres for an elementary school, 30-50 acres for a middle school and 75+ for a high school (depending on the size of the high school).

“What are the results of our traffic impact study?

“Would the property be approved by the South Carolina Department of Transportation in terms of available road frontage, the depth of the property and the ability to provide necessary traffic circulation on site for the stacking of automobiles during peak student drop-off and pick-up times?

“Is there enough road frontage? Are the sightlines good? Do you have enough distance to safely enter and exit the property?”

Hill said the land is ideally suited for a middle school across from the high school. This will allow students to share educational and extracurricular opportunities.

The Highway 178 land provides safety traveling in and lowers road costs.

It will provide room for cars during morning drop off and afternoon pick up.

Lexington District 1 calls its Pelion land purchase a good buy.

The district school board agreed to pay $982,980 for 54.61 acres in Pelion from Hugh Nichols of Lexington and Jean Haggard of Pelion. Mrs. Haggard is a retired Pelion High principal.

Spokesperson Mary Beth Hill said it would be difficult to buy land or to do business if it had to exclude all landowners or businesspeople with relations to the district or its employees.

With more than 4,000 employees, she said, the district is the county’s 2nd largest employer.

“Obviously, there are thousands more family members, past employees, retired employees, past board members, etc., who still live in Lexington County,” Hill said.

“The district prides itself on being good stewards of tax dollars and keeps site development costs in mind because it directly impacts the bottom line and the final per acre cost.”

She said that when the district locates property that fits its needs, it asks the landowners if they will sell.

Hill called the Pelion site “perfect” with power, water, sewer and internet access available or on its way.

She said this and minimal elevation changes will lower development costs.

“While we know that some people feel the initial per acre cost was higher than anticipated,” she said. “We know the property is a bargain when you consider all factors. Just because the cost of land is cheaper up front does not mean the final cost per acre will remain cheaper if the site requires excessive development.”