Greenville County Schools plans to explore the potential use of impact fees to help meet the demands of the population growth in Greenville County.
The school district’s board of trustees unanimously authorized a comprehensive study to determine the feasibility of impact fees during its Oct. 28 meeting. The study received initial approval during the board’s Committee of the Whole meeting on Oct. 14.
Impact fees are a one-time payment that would be charged to homebuilders for new residential construction in Greenville County. The impact fees would be collected and administered by Greenville County on the school district’s behalf.
“It’s an impact fee, not a tax placed on existing homes,” said Superintendent Burke Royster at the Oct. 14 meeting.
Money generated from the impact fees would be used to fund GCS’s capital projects related to growth, such as constructing a new school or a new building addition. The funding cannot be used for the school district’s operational costs, building replacements, etc.
State law requires the school district to employ a third-party vendor to complete a comprehensive study to justify the enactment of impact fees. TischlerBise, a Maryland-based consulting firm, was selected to conduct the study for GCS. The total cost for the study is approximately $60,000.
The comprehensive study will calculate the school district’s potential impact fees. It will also prepare a capital improvement plan for GCS and study the effect of impact fees on affordable housing.
“We need to determine ourselves if it is worth the effort, if it’s going to be financially viable for the school district to follow that pathway, what the effect on the community would be,” Board Trustee Chuck Saylors said during the Oct. 14 meeting.
The comprehensive impact fee study is expected to be completed by spring 2026. Once completed, the board will vote to send the impact fee proposal to Greenville County’s Planning Commission for approval. Greenville County Council will have the final decision on whether the impact fee will be implemented.
Impact fee vs. property tax
An impact fee is a one-time charge triggered by new development and must be paid by the individual developer.
A property tax is a recurring annual tax paid by all property owners.
