Gaston?!.......Whats the deal? (Columbia, Cayce: lease, houses, school district)

[heartuvfire]

Hi All.....Our lease is going to be up and we started the process of home shopping.We are in northeast Columbia and for different reasons we want a more rural feeling.We have an 8y/o and I have to say great schools here in richland 2.We looked out at a couple house in gaston and to me the area was very pretty BUT what is the deal with the school district out there?I work in lex/richland 5 so I mean if need be I can put my son in DF schools but sheesh what a bummer when I saw what the schools rated SO my question is whats the deal with gaston? Is it just a forgotten part of lexington county? Do you think 5-10 years from now it will build up a bit and turn around? I just dont understand with it being a fairly easy commute to downtown columbia why its kind of overlooked?

[Columbiadata]

Well, there are secluded rural settings around Gaston that are bucolic, but Gaston and Swansea have gotten a bad reputation of being hard-hit by methamphetamine (sp) labs and toothless people with bad skin as a result of using meth. I lived in Swansea from age 8 till 15, and it always had a rough reputation. Also, word always had it that the powers that were wanted to keep that area of Lexington County as it was, with no new industry moving in to upset their set way of life. So, despite the express highway all the way from Columbia to Swansea, things have essentially stayed the same, although in more recent years water and sewage pipes were laid in that corridor with the hope of attracting more businesses. The Gaston-Swansea district (Lexington 4) has high property taxes, and a large percentage of its students are from transient-type families living in trailer parks, not to be disparaging to anyone who grew up in that type of environment with a good outcome. To make matters worse, Gaston's mayor and town clerk were arrested last year for cooking the books.

[heartuvfire]

wow thats pretty sad to hear We really liked the rural feel and thought it was kind of pretty out that way, didnt really expect to hear all that. Any suggestions that may be simular (rural) but has a better rep?

[Columbiadata]

Gilbert? Or how 'bout Elgin?

[waccamatt]

If you want a rural area, why don't you look in the Blythewood area and stay in the same school district?

[heartuvfire]

we actually did look in Blythewood which is very very pretty but and this is a big but our price range is 125,000-150,000.Not a very big selection in that price range

[Woodlands]

Originally Posted by Columbiadata

Well, there are secluded rural settings around Gaston that are bucolic, but Gaston and Swansea have gotten a bad reputation of being hard-hit by methamphetamine (sp) labs and toothless people with bad skin as a result of using meth. I lived in Swansea from age 8 till 15, and it always had a rough reputation. Also, word always had it that the powers that were wanted to keep that area of Lexington County as it was, with no new industry moving in to upset their set way of life. So, despite the express highway all the way from Columbia to Swansea, things have essentially stayed the same, although in more recent years water and sewage pipes were laid in that corridor with the hope of attracting more businesses. The Gaston-Swansea district (Lexington 4) has high property taxes, and a large percentage of its students are from transient-type families living in trailer parks, not to be disparaging to anyone who grew up in that type of environment with a good outcome. To make matters worse, Gaston's mayor and town clerk were arrested last year for cooking the books.

That sounds familiar.. there are quite a few SC towns that behave in that manner (i.e powers that be wanting to keep development out).Understandably some may want to preserve their unique way of life or some notable element of "quality of life" (meth labs not included) that they find important. But most of them could use some form of development/ industry at a minimum to provide more of a tax base for services.. but again if your are profiting from someone else's misery... there may be no incentive to change things.

[Brandon Hoffman]

Originally Posted by Columbiadata

Also, word always had it that the powers that were wanted to keep that area of Lexington County as it was, with no new industry moving in to upset their set way of life. So, despite the express highway all the way from Columbia to Swansea, things have essentially stayed the same, although in more recent years water and sewage pipes were laid in that corridor with the hope of attracting more businesses.

That is pretty accurate. I am a product of the the Swansea school system and good portion of my classmates have been quite successful. Swansea is, IMO, a little better off than Gaston even though it's farther away.

[stevehawk]

I live in Elgin and would definitely reccomend it. Where do you work? I work in Cayce and the commute is driving me nuts. Wedgewood is a nice subdivion next to the one I live in. That is the price range most of those houses are. We are putting ours up FSBO in a few weeks.

[heartuvfire]

Hi Steve.....I actually work off of exit 101 on I-26 and my husband works off exit 113 on I-26 and we are renting over here by Sandhills.Im feeling your pain about the comute too