Craven County board awards Tucker Creek expansion contract after value‑engineering; public urged reconsideration of Havelock merger

The Craven County Board of Education voted July 15 to award the general‑contractor contract for the Tucker Creek Middle School expansion to J. M. Thompson Company after a value‑engineering review reduced project costs. Board members said the recommended package included the base bid plus alternates for a new bus canopy, walk‑in freezer and cooler, and preferred fixtures and equipment; a value‑engineering process trimmed $379,100 from the bid total, and staff told the board the final project estimate would remain under the combined grant and local match award of $17,996,750. The vote to accept the contract was unanimous. After the motion and second, the board conducted a roll call and each attending member voted yes. The decision came amid public comment urging reconsideration of a proposed merger involving Havelock Middle School. Cleopatra Hargett, who identified herself as an alumna and participant in a focus group about the merger, asked the board to "reconsider the Havelock Middle School merger" and warned of possible "academic, emotional, psychological" impacts on students if the consolidation proceeds. Board discussion before the vote focused on bid details and the value‑engineering process. Interim Assistant Superintendent of Operations Dr. Stuart Blunt said the trims did not remove essential functions: "They will still happen; they were just gonna be done at a cheaper cost to the district," referring to changes such as less costly band acoustics and other savings. He added staff could phase or complete some alternates using existing capital outlay over the next two years, estimating roughly $100,000 to accomplish two alternates (the physical education storage building and a paved fire lane) from district funds. The board framed the action as an attempt to stay within the grant/match budget while preserving programmatic elements. No board member moved to delay or table the award. The motion was called, seconded, and carried by roll call. The board did not set a new public hearing on the merger during the session. Public commenters said they had provided written materials to board members and asked that the board weigh the emotional and academic effects on students when implementing the consolidation plan. The board directed staff to proceed with contract administration and monitoring; staff said they would return with updates if scope or budget adjustments were required. Ending: The contract award clears the way for construction work to proceed; the administration will implement the value‑engineered plan and report back to the board on any follow‑up adjustments or scheduling details.