MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) – For the first time, Mt. Pleasant students will have a second high school serving them this school year, helping relieve overcrowding at Wando High School. Lucy Garrett Beckham High School opens to ninth and tenth graders on September 8. The Charleston County School District offered a tour to local media on Friday. Named after the cherished former Wando principal Lucy Beckham, the new 245,000-square foot high school cost $108.4 million. It sits on 44 acres and replaced the old Wando High campus. Despite the potential challenges of finishing construction during a pandemic leaders said the school is on time and on budget. “It has been interesting and hard at times,” said Harold Lee with Cumming Construction Management. “The contractor set up a good COVID program as they came in the building, all the workers were checked. ”Principal Anna Dassing said the building feels more like a college setting with a large atrium, indoor and outdoor eating areas, and a free-form 50-minute lunch time during which students can eat, study, make up work, and collaborate.
