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PICKENS COUNTY - Board trustees approved the schematic designs for the new Liberty and Dacusville Elementary schools Monday night.

The votes followed two community input sessions held in Liberty and Dacusville regarding the new schools.

Future expansion was a concern for board members.

Liberty Elementary will be built for an eventual core of 650 students, Mary Beth Branham of LS3P Associates said.

Trustee Jim Brice asked if there would be any vacant classrooms in the school once it opens.

"There may be one," Superintendent Lee D'Andrea said.

Trustee Kevin Kay asked how much extra classroom space Dacusville Elementary will have when it opens.

"Two classrooms right now," D'Andrea said. "Maybe just one."

Classroom numbers and sizes have not been finalized yet, she said.

Board members heard presentations from officials from LS3P Associates, the firm designing the two schools.

While board members agreed the new Career and Technology Center will be built on the same parcel of land as the second Liberty Elementary School, just when that was decided was the cause of some confusion.

Trustee Alex Saitta brought the issue up.

"When did we vote to do that?" Saitta said.

"We haven't," Trustee B.J. Skelton replied.

Saitta said he could find no record of voting to move the location of the career center in minutes of past meetings.

"It's been talked about a lot," Skelton said. "We've discussed the cost versus the location, transportation cost, things of that sort."

Officials will investigate the matter, Skelton said.

"These look like extremely attractive elementary schools," Brice said. "Far nicer than what you usually see."

Board members approved the Liberty School 8-1, with Kay abstaining from the vote.

Dacusville Elementary School plans were approved unanimously.