Caddell v. Lexington County School District No. 1

Finney, Justice:

I dissent. It is my judgment that the lease agreements between the School District and the Corporation incur a general obligation debt and violate Article X, Section 15, of the South Carolina Constitution.

This case presents the problem of reconciling constitutional debt limitations on local governments with the constitutional mandate for local governments to provide educational facilities which meet certain minimum standards. Appellants assert that because of the structure of this “lease/purchase arrangement,” there is no violation of the constitutional prohibition contained…