Is the school district really trying to build million-dollar hotdog stands?

Two Beaufort County public schools could soon come into about $1.6 million to upgrade their athletic facilities, depending on how an educational sales tax and bond referendum fare during the general election next week.

But support for the bathroom-concessions-storage buildings is split. For some of the cheapest items in the Beaufort County School District’s $217 million capital improvement plan, the new athletics buildings have caused more than their fair share of controversy.

A few vocal critics have latched onto the projects as a key reason to vote down the 1 percent educational sales tax and $217 million bond referendum going before voters next Tuesday, arguing they have nothing to do with projected enrollment increases or classroom capacity.

Community group Citizens Advocating Responsible Education and the Greater Bluffton Republican Club have both described the facilities as “air conditioned hot dog stands,” with the Republican group using the hashtag “hotdogstandstonowhere” to reference pork barrel spending.

The group also incorrectly stated on Facebook on Oct. 21 that both projects are slated for Hilton Head Island. In reality, one of the concessions stands would be built at River Ridge Academy in Bluffton for about $927,000, and the other would be built at Robert Smalls International Academy in Beaufort for about $737,000.

The school district defends the projects, noting that building codes now require schools to have bathrooms within 500 feet of athletic fields.

So which are they, million-dollar hotdog stands or mandated upgrades? Somewhere in between, it turns out.

District spokesman Jim Foster said Thursday the district is required to build bathrooms near River Ridge’s fields because the year-old school’s athletic facilities are still under construction, and all new construction and additions or renovations must conform to the International Building Code.

The district is not required to build new restroom facilities at Robert Smalls. However, Foster said, it would be the only middle school in the district without bathrooms near its fields.

“It’s an equity issue,” he said.

The building code does not require the district to add concessions stands or storage facilities. However, Foster said doing so would be cost-effective as long as the district was already adding new bathrooms.

For a full list of projects on the educational sales tax, and their individual costs, visit The Island Packet website.

This story was originally published November 4, 2016 at 10:21 AM with the headline "Is the school district really trying to build million-dollar hotdog stands?."