The McDowell County Board of Education on a unanimous 9-0 vote affirmed its intent to acquire a roughly 34.01-acre parcel in Marion and authorized district officials to complete the purchase. The board’s resolution, adopted in August 2025, names the property at the intersection of East Court, U.S. Highway 70 and Ridge Road (parcel ID 1712-1822-9046) and lists a purchase price of $1,700,000. The resolution says funds drawn down and expended for acquisition "shall not exceed $2,000,000."

The vote clears administrative steps the board said were necessary to be “shovel ready” for future state capital grant applications. Superintendent Dr. Gritt, who presented the item, told the board the next step is to seek legislative support and to be prepared to apply for North Carolina public school lottery capital grant funding once the district has site control and is shovel-ready.

The resolution also authorizes three named officials—the superintendent, the board chair and the finance officer—to execute documents and take actions, in consultation with the board’s legal counsel, that are “necessary or expedient” to complete the acquisition. The resolution text included dates and prior approvals: county commissioners previously approved the purchase price on April 14, 2025, and the board approved a contract on April 28, 2025, steps the resolution described as required by state statute prior to acquiring property for school construction.

Board member Mister Shuford made the motion to approve the resolution; Mister Baker seconded it. Several trustees asked to see the project master plan and renderings in a public session so the full board and community can view how a new combined school would fit on the parcel. Dr. Gritt said a simple site rendering could be shared in the weekly review and later on television when the project is further developed.

The resolution notes the district incurred due-diligence costs and allows the finance officer to coordinate with the county finance director to create project accounts and ordinances as needed to obtain funds. The board did not commit to construction funding in the resolution; it stated the acquisition is intended to position the district for future grant opportunities.