Midway Elementary reopens under SPLOST; district says project finished debt-free

Forsyth County school officials on March 18 spotlighted the new Midway Elementary School built with SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax) funding and told the board the project was completed without borrowing.

Principal Daphne Rogers thanked the board and voters for prioritizing SPLOST and said the new building will serve as a community hub with expanded space for events and competitions. "We really wanted to thank the Board for their visionary leadership and forward thinking, in making our beautiful state of the art school come to reality and fruition," Rogers said during the meeting.

SPLOST program staff described project highlights: the original Midway campus sat on about 9.8 acres and the new site covers about 22 acres; the old building’s square footage was about 68,000 and the new building is about 136,000 square feet; student capacity increased from roughly 700 to 1,175. Construction finished ahead of schedule, staff said, and change orders were kept to less than half a percent of the contract value.

When asked about financing, a district representative said the school was paid for with SPLOST revenues as they were received. "We paid as we go. No loans. No debt," the presenter said. The meeting did not provide a final contract cost or a detailed project budget; when asked, a board member suggested a rough figure that was not stated as final during the meeting. The district did not announce a final consolidated construction cost during the presentation.

SPLOST staff also noted that the older Midway facility will be repurposed for use by the county sheriff’s department, expanding the district’s safety partnerships. The board and school leaders promoted a summer 2025 grand opening event for families; the district said a date would be announced later.