‘It’s long overdue’: Crews break ground on new Whittemore Park Middle School

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - The last major upgrade to Whittemore Park Middle School happened more than three decades ago, and today crews will break ground on its new replacement school.

Horry County School District said it only builds new schools to replace an old building or when there are just too many students.

Lisa Bourcier, Director of Communications for Horry County Schools, said Whittemore Park Middle School was starting to show its age.

“It’s long overdue. There’s still a very small portion of that original building that was actually built in the fifties, so this new replacement school it’s been needed for several years, and we’re excited to be able to break ground,” said Bourcier.

Once crews clear the 38 acres of land the school will sit on, construction can begin.

The new Whittemore Park replacement school will be 152,000 square feet and house just over one thousand students.

With the $58 million budget, the new school will come with all the bells and whistles including updated fixtures and furniture.

However, Bourcier said they are most excited about adding a legacy wall to help preserve the history of the old school.

“There’s a lot of history in that Conway area regarding the old Whittemore High School and that particular location, so it’s nice to be able to feature a legacy wall to really commemorate the community and where we’ve been and where we’re going. So we’re excited to be able to have that addition within the new school.

Crews should finish up construction by the summer of 2024, so the district plans to welcome students into the new school that fall.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the new Whittemore Park Middle School starts at 4 p.m. on Monday, October 24 at the site of the new school located at 500 El Bethel Road in Conway.

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