Clinton schools report security window, roofing and sensor installs; county gives $1 million toward middle school roof

Clinton City Schools staff briefed the board on multiple summer facility projects and safety upgrades during the June 24 meeting, and said Sampson County commissioners approved a $1 million allocation to help cover a large roofing project at Sampson Middle School.

Facilities director John Lowe (staff member) said work is under way on a new secure foyer window at Clinton High School that functions "much like a bank teller window" with a pass‑through tray and bullet‑resistant glass. He said the district had hoped the work would finish sooner but a Corian countertop fabrication issue delayed the final inspection by a few days.

Lowe reported roof replacement work is in progress at LC Car and that crews had installed the roofing membrane despite weather delays; ridge work and eave metal remain. At Sunset project he said crews had removed failing brick facade sections and will install mechanically fastened metal brackets and insulated metal panels to reduce weight and add R‑value. He said engineers believe vertical structural sections had been undersized and were contributing to brick separation over time.

Staff also told the board the district has installed environmental sensors (vape/air quality sensors) in bathrooms and locker rooms at Sampson Middle School and Clinton High School. The sensors measure volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, track temperature and can provide people counts and configurable alerts for administrative staff. Lowe said alerts will initially be routed to principal and central administrators so the system can be tuned to avoid false alarms.

Under the federally subsidized E‑rate program, the district has purchased category‑2 equipment to improve connectivity to end‑user devices; staff showed photos of updated switching and cabling in buildings. Lowe said the district obtained an infrared drone roof scan for Sampson Middle School (no cost to the district) to identify areas of wet insulation and prioritize repair.

On funding, Lowe said Sampson County approved a $1 million transfer from an education reserve fund to the district to help address the Sampson Middle School roofing project. He said the DPI Office of School Planning still must approve any large‑scale project specifications and that the district will work with the state if the project requires DPI sign‑off because of size and dollar amount.

Board members asked about warranties and maintenance, and staff cautioned that some procurement or financing options (for example, certain public‑private partnerships) can affect warranty transferability. Lowe said district solar PV continues to produce more energy than the schools consume on many days and that the roofing work should consider solar arrays and skylight removal where appropriate.

The board heard the update as information; no separate formal vote was required for the project updates. Members thanked county leaders for the $1 million allocation and asked staff to continue providing monthly progress reports.