By Vickie Rogers
On Friday, October 11th, Dillon Elementary School celebrated its ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a significant milestone for the community.
Superintendent Ray Rogers opened the event with a prayer, emphasizing the importance of modern facilities for the students. He noted the positive impact on the children, highlighting their increased happiness and pride in their new school. The children and the community will benefit from this new facility. The students see that people love and care about them. He thanked the ladies in administration that assisted with all the paperwork. He thanked the legislation, Representative Jackie Hayes, and Senator Kent Williams. He said this has been a dream come true.
Thurmond Porter from Brownstone praised the collaborative efforts that made the project possible, thanking Edcon Contractors and acknowledging the hard work that went into securing permits for the school’s construction. Through a lot of teamwork, even when some said we couldn’t do it, everyone jumped in, worked hard, and made it happen. He thanked Brownstone for their confidence in them.
Dennis Ward, the architect, shared his joy in seeing the community’s excitement for the new building and expressed hopes for future expansions to include 4th and 5th grades. He thanked everyone for allowing him to be a part of this extraordinary journey. “I’ve worked with the school district over the years and I was familiar with the need for a new facility”, he said. Most important, we wanted a school to be safe and a home for the students and faculty.
Senator Kent Williams said it is a great day in Dillon, South Carolina. He thanked the Board of Education, District Four, Ray Rogers, Jackie Hayes, and the staff and faculty for their commitment to leadership. “What we are witnessing here today is a perfect example of a partnership. We have federal, state, and county. This is what happens when we all get on the same page and work for the good of the cause. This is an investment that will pay dividends for the rest of our lives, and generations to come. This is a first rate school. You expect to see a facility like this in Charleston, Greenville, or Spartanburg, not rural Dillon. But is has been proved here today. We are producing greatness when we invest in our children. I am proud to be a part of this.”, he said.
Representative Jackie Hayes discussed the journey to realize the new facility, highlighting the generous land donation from Marlboro Development and the collaborative efforts from various community stakeholders. He underscored the commitment to providing a bright future for the students. He said Ellen Weaver and Molly Spearman played a tremendous part in getting us to where we are today. He thanked Senator Kent Williams and spoke of the money they were able to get earmarked from Columbia so this facility came at no cost to the taxpayers of Dillon County. He said he has put his heart and soul into this. There were a lot of sleepless nights, trying to find this kind of money was a challenge. A lot of people came together to help. Trico Water, the City of Dillon, Dillon County, The Herald Group just to name a few. This is the crown jewel for me. It’s all about the kids-our future leaders.
The ceremony was a heartfelt celebration of community spirit, teamwork, and a shared vision for enhancing education in Dillon.