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Media contacts:
Sharon Goolsby, Public Information Office: (864) 577-7505
Katie Rice, Public
Information Office: (864) 577-7506
The
story of this historic building’s renovation and restoration, completed in
2004, will be told in an SC Educational Television documentary airing in the
Upstate at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 4 on
Channels 29 and 49 and on cable channel 8.
“One
of the first things that struck me when I came to the school and walked through
Walker Hall was that this place should be barrier free,” said Sheila
Breitweiser, president of SCSDB. “Now
every room in Walker Hall is accessible.”
Walker
Hall was designed by noted Charleston Architect Edward C. Jones and was
completed just a year before the start of the Civil War. In early years, Walker Hall was used as a
classroom building, residence hall for students and faculty, a gymnasium and a
vocational training center.
Walker Hall is now the school’s student cultural arts center that includes an art studio, art exhibit areas, a dance/drama studio, a music studio, museums and the beautifully renovated 400-seat Pulliam Auditorium for performances.
The Walker Hall renovation project is the result of a public-private partnership between state government, foundations, private individuals and businesses. The state Legislature provided $12 million in bond funds for the project, and The Walker Foundation (the school’s fund-raising arm) led efforts to raise funds for additional renovations and furnishings.
The SC Department of
Education named SCSDB a
academic accomplishments and a Red Carpet School for its outstanding customer
service.
SCSDB is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the
Conference of Educational Administrators of Schools and Programs for the Deaf
and the SC Department of Education.
SCSDB offers programs for preschool, elementary, middle school, high
school, sensory multidisabled, vocational and postsecondary education students,
as well as a variety of outreach services through regional centers located
throughout the state. The main campus is located in
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