The general evaluation criteria established by the Study Committee for review
of the proposals were:
* the overall quality of the proposal;
* the organizational structure;
* public/private partnerships;
* quality of student life, arts and academic needs;
* capital and operating budgets; and
* facility requirements.
The Location Survey included specific questions under each of the general criteria to address important considerations in the selection of a site for the nine-month school.
A Respondents' meeting was held in February, 1995, to answer any questions that potential respondents had concerning completion of the Survey. Representatives from Anderson College, the University of South Carolina, and Newberry College attended the meeting.
Five proposals were received in response to the Location Survey. They were: the City of Aiken; the City of Union; the City of Newberry; the University of South Carolina at Spartanburg; and the Unified Alliance for the Governor's School of Greenville. All respondents with the exception of Aiken accepted the Committee's invitation to make a presentation of their proposals. (Copies of the Location Survey and Responses may be obtained from the Office of Senator J. Verne Smith).
The proposals represented strong, yet diverse, options for the location of the school. The City of Aiken proposed the purchase of the Centennial Center office complex located in South Central Aiken, with collaborative support from USC Aiken, Aiken Technical College, and the Aiken public school system.
Both Union and Newberry stressed the advantages of locating in a smaller community, and proposed the renovation and use of public school buildings. Union proposed the renovation of the former Union High School campus located in the Main Street Historic District in a lease arrangement with the State. Union offered collaborative support from USC-Union, and emphasized its past success in downtown historic renovation projects. Newberry proposed the renovation of the Newberry Middle School campus which would be available in 1998. Newberry College offered interim housing for students over a two-year period as
The two, larger metropolitan areas also offered contrasting proposals for the location of the school. USC Spartanburg proposed the use of its existing and expanded campus facilities, stressing the near completion of its new Campus Life Center. The University, along with the City of Spartanburg and other community partners, stressed Spartanburg's long tradition of support and involvement in the arts. The Greenville proposal was based on the construction of a self-contained campus on land currently owned by the City and County of Greenville. Both the City and County indicated a willingness to work with the private sector in making the land available as the site for the Governor's School. Greenville stressed its fifteen year support for the current Governor's School for the Arts summer program at Furman University as well as its long tradition of local financial support for and promotion of the arts.
While all of the proposals were strong candidates for selection, the Committee unanimously agreed to recommend the Greenville location as the site of the proposed nine-month residential school for the arts and humanities. The Committee felt that the Greenville proposal offered the best overall plan to fulfill the artistic and academic mission of the school. The Committee also felt that the proposal most closely met two important priorities established by the Committee during the selection process.
First, the proposal envisioned a self-contained campus where the academic and
artistic programs could be provided on campus. This met Committee concerns
that:
* parents would be hesitant to send their high school children to a
university campus setting where the possibility for commingling with
college age students was greater;
* it would be difficult to schedule shared use of campus facilities; and
* there would be scheduling difficulties in attempting to provide for the
academic needs of the students if it required transporting students to
different schools within the public school system.
The ability to bring teachers to the students on-campus so as to better meld the artistic and academic programs was emphasized in the Greenville proposal. Finally, providing campus safety and security for the students on a self-contained campus was also an important consideration.
Second, the Greenville proposal offered a firm commitment to generate private funds in support of the project. The proposal included an estimated ability to raise approximately one-third of the capital costs. In addition, the proposal included firm letters of commitment from
The capital cost for the construction of the campus for the school is $13,420,300 with an additional cost of $1,170,000 for the construction of a recital hall, for a total capital cost of $14,590,300. The estimated annual operating budget, excluding the cost of the technical needs to implement televised distance learning and excluding salaries and benefits for employees, is approximately $1,401,000. (See Chart 2 for the capital and operating budgets).
In addition, Greenville has solicited and received documentation for in-kind services and contributions to the Governor's School program. The City and County of Greenville have indicated their support and cooperation in the acquisition of the land and necessary infrastructure to achieve a self-contained campus for the school. The School District of Greenville County has pledged to provide purchasing, maintenance, and other administrative services as well as the shared use of faculty and facilities. Other organizations have pledged support in the way of services, facilities, and shared faculty. (See Chart 3 for documented in-kind services).
The Committee resolved to recommend to the General Assembly that Greenville serve as the location for the nine-month residential Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities. State funding for the necessary capital expenditures for the school would be based on the amount raised by the community in a statewide campaign for private funds (including local government contributions). The goal would be a ratio of two dollars of private funds for each one dollar of state funds. There would be an opportunity during the capital campaign to make some adjustments to the proposed site plans if necessary.
The Committee was charged with reviewing the issue of access for students from all geographic locations and for students with limited economic means. To meet this charge, an Access Plan was developed and approved by the Committee. (See Chart 4). With regard to students with limited financial means, the Plan provides that no student will be denied admission to the school because of an inability to pay tuition if a tuition
Act 447 requires that the governing board of the school shall, as far as possible without jeopardizing admission standards, ensure that an equal number of students are admitted from each of the state's congressional districts. In addition, the Plan calls for enhanced recruiting efforts across the state to identify students with artistic potential but who may have had limited opportunity to develop that talent. Special outreach efforts will be made for rural counties, including workshops to assist in completing the application process and the use of a mentoring program so that older students and teachers can assist students in talent development. The Plan also calls for the expansion of the current Academy, a two-week intensive summer training program to prepare rising sophomores in targeted counties to compete more successfully for entry into the Governor's School five-week Honors program. Other, similar initiatives are outlined in more detail in the Access plan.
The Committee recommends that the governing board of the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities, once established and operational, adopt the Access Plan as its policy for the participation of students from all geographic areas of the state and with limited financial means.
CONCLUSION
The Committee strongly supports the mission and objectives of the nine-month residential school for the arts, and recommends its location in Greenville, South Carolina. State funding for the necessary capital expenditures for the school would be based on the amount raised by the community in statewide campaign for private funds (including local government contributions). The goal would be a ratio of two dollars of private funds for each one dollar of state funds. There would be an opportunity during the capital campaign to make some adjustments to the proposed site plans if necessary. Once private financing is secured, the Committee recommends that the state appropriate the state match and, when able and appropriate, fund the annual operating costs of the school. To ensure access for all students regardless of geographic location or financial means, the Committee recommends that the governing body of
Act 447 provides that the Study Committee will terminate upon the issuance of its final report. To support the continued efforts to secure financing and completion of the school, the Committee recommends that the General Assembly support the continuation of the Study Committee for the duration of the project. The Committee further recommends that the governing body of the school report periodically, but not less than quarterly, to the Committee concerning any changes or modifications to its proposal.
Act 447 also provides that the governing board of the Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities is established and effective on July 1, 1995. The Committee recommends that, in accordance with Act 447, the governing body of the school be appointed by July 1, 1995, so that members of the governing body can provide leadership in the statewide capital campaign.
Rep. Carole Wells Senator J. Verne Smith
104 Spring Valley Dr. P.O. Box 528
Spartanburg, SC 29301 Greer, SC 29651
House Education Committee:Senate Education Committee:
Rep. Elsie Rast Stuart Senator McKinley Washington
Post Office Box 38 610 Gressette Building
Pelion, SC 29123 Columbia, SC 29202
Superintendent of Education:Chairman of CHE/Designee:
Dr. Barbara Neilson Mr. Willard Metcalf
1429 Senate Street 110 Inglewood Way
Columbia, SC 29201 Greenville, SC 29615
Designee: Mac Arthur Goodwin
Dr. Leo Twiggs
420 Woodlawn Drive
Orangeburg, SC 29115
I. Construction Cost
A. Site Work
1. Roads and Parking . . . . .$150,000
2. Utilities. . . . .$100,000
3. Walkways, Landscaping. . . . .$160,000
B. Building Construction
1. Creative Writing 3,820 SF x $50*. . . . .$191,000
2. Dance 10,425 SF x $85. . . . .$886,210
3. Music 11,160 SF x $85. . . . .$948,640
4. Drama 17,200 SF x $90. . . . . $1,548,000
5. Visual Arts 9,100 SF x $110. . . . .$546,000
6. Auxiliary Support
Kitchen & Dining 7,150 SF x $110. . . . .$786,500
Dormitories 42,835 SF x $70. . . . .$2,998,450
Library, Guidance, Information. . . . .$614,250
8,190 SF x $75
7. Administration 2,550 SF x $75. . . . .$191,250
8. Recital Hall 7,800 SF x $150. . . . .($1,170,000)
II. Construction Related and Administrative Costs
A. Survey, Testing. . . . .$50,000
B. Land Cost (Carolina Supply Building). . . . .$250,000
C. Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment. . . . .$2,000,000
D. Fees. . . . .$800,000
III. Contingency. . . . .$1,200,000
TOTAL. . . . .$13,420,300
. . . . .($14,590,300)
Numbers in () are for Phase II and include costs of Recital Hall
*Cost based on renovation of Carolina Supply Building.
Food Service . . . . .310,000
Utilities
Natural Gas. . . . .60,000
Electricity. . . . .180,000
Water. . . . .45,000
Telephone. . . . . 50,000
Equipment and Supplies. . . . .135,000
Housekeeping. . . . .100,000
Maintenance. . . . .40,000
Operational Supplies. . . . .25,000
Travel. . . . .30,000
Productions. . . . .60,000
Printing. . . . .30,000
Advertising. . . . .15,000
Public Relations. . . . .10,000
Postage/Courier. . . . .30,000
Books, recordings and computer software. . . . .75,000
Consulting Services/Artists. . . . .50,000
Insurance. . . . .100,000
Vehicle Maintenance. . . . .5,000
Operational Equipment. . . . .1,000
Contingency. . . . . 50,000
TOTAL. . . . .$1,401,000
*Note: The estimated operating budget is contingent upon the school's location, collaborations, facilities, the cost of utilities and shared services. This budget does not reflect the cost of the distance learning component of the school nor the salaries and benefits of all employees.
Documented In-Kind Services
School District of Greenville County
* Fine Arts Center/Governor's School for the Arts - shared artists and
teachers
* International Baccalaureate Programs - shared faculty - international
studies
* Fiscal management/investments
Greenville Technical College
Library services
Interactive television, lecture rooms and transmission
Lecture rooms
Academic tuition courses
Welding shops
Carpentry shops - technical set design and fabrication
Food services assistants
Computer labs when available
Consulting advisors
Bob Jones University
Art exhibitions - religious art collection - largest in western hemisphere
Technical expertise and adjunct faculty, arts and academics
Opera performances
Theater performances
Music programs and workshops
Stage set, costume, makeup, residencies and workshops
Shared guest artists
First Baptist Church - Greenville
Shared space - classrooms, auditorium and lecture rooms
Furman University
Performance facilities - when available - first choice after Furman programs
scheduled
Programs - arts, academics, humanities
Computer labs
Library services
Graduate studies - gifted education, arts, academics and humanities
Art gallery for exhibits when not in use
Art exhibits and art history lectures
Recreation facilities
Guest writers and artists performances and masterclasses
Audition for Furman Orchestra and chorus
Audition for theater productions
Performing Arts Centers
Peace Center for the Performing Arts
*Free unsold tickets to any performance
*Peace Outreach Program (POP)
*Guest artists, masterclasses, workshops
*Wyche Pavilion concerts
Symphonies
Greenville Symphony
*Shared programs/seminars
*Shared artists
*Adjunct faculty (arts)
*Internship/apprenticeships
*Other
Bob Jones Symphony (see Bob Jones University)
Ballet Companies
Greenville Ballet Company
*Shared programs/seminars
*Shared artists
*Adjunct faculty (arts)
*Internships/apprenticeships
*GSA students accepted for performance by audition
Community Arts Councils
Metropolitan Arts Council
*Publicity efforts/raise community awareness
*Apprenticeships
*Shared programs/seminars
*Volunteer placements
City of Greenville
William D. Workman, Mayor
Nancy Whitworth - Economic Development Director
R.M. Capps, Fire Chief
*Safety and security
*Land and infrastructure
*Recreation
Greenville County Council
Land
Greenville Area Theaters
Greenville Little Theater
*Shared spaces
*Shared programs/seminars
*Technical resources (staging/lighting)
*Internships/apprenticeships
*Workshops in costuming/staging/makeup
*Adjunct faculty (arts)
*Visiting artists
Greenville County Library
Programs/seminars
Research
Library resources:books, audio, visual aids
Greenville County Museum of Art
Programs/seminars/workshops
Shared artists
Adjunct faculty (arts)
Exhibits and lectures
This proposed access plan is developed in response to the legislative requirement that the issue of access to the South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities for students from all geographic locations within the state as well as those with limited economic means and limited education opportunities be addressed.
The South Carolina Governor's School for the Arts and Humanities will promote fair and equal access for the residential school in accordance with the admission criteria, standards of excellence and procedures as developed and established by the administration and approved by the