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Board approves Brunson Elementary change order after heated debate over Brownfields agreement
Summary
After public criticism and questions about environmental disclosures and the Brownfields agreement, the board reconsidered and approved a change order to continue Brunson Elementary construction, using project contingency funds for additional testing of fill dirt.
The Winston‑Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education approved a change order on May 27 to fund required testing of fill dirt and other materials for the Brunson Elementary construction project, after an initial vote to approve the change order failed and the board then reconsidered and passed the measure.
Daryl Walker, senior executive director of facility planning and construction, told the board the change order covers testing of replacement dirt arriving on site to comply with the Brownfields agreement and the district’s contract with its environmental consultant. Walker said the testing will be paid from the project’s contingency balance and that no additional project appropriation is needed. “The change order before you is to test new dirt coming in. That’s really what that is,” he said.
Public commenters, including environmental advocates and neighbors, pushed the board for fuller disclosure about environmental reviews. A public speaker referenced an April Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) meeting and a revised DEQ risk assessment he said had not been shared with the board before earlier votes. The speaker said Brownfields law primarily protects property owners from liability and urged caution in siting a school on a Brownfields site.
Board members questioned staff about the timeline for DEQ’s Brownfields agreement, and several said they had earlier been told the district had a finalized agreement when, Walker clarified, the district had been accepted into the Brownfields program but the formal agreement was signed only in the prior week. That timeline and the public comment prompted heightened scrutiny during the change‑order discussion.
The change order covers additional testing as contractors remove on‑site debris and bring new material on site. Walker said contractors uncovered remnant roofing and siding materials and that contracted environmental firms are testing both soils removed from the site and imported fill. Shellco is the general contractor on the Brunson project; Gilbane had been engaged earlier in preconstruction services.
The board voted on the change order twice. The first motion to approve the change order failed. A motion to reconsider that failure was then approved, and the change order passed on reconsideration. Walker told the board construction remains scheduled to open the new Brunson Elementary in the 2026–27 school year but acknowledged weather and schedule challenges.
Ending: With the approval, staff said work would continue under the terms of the Brownfields agreement and using contingency funds. Board members said they expect continued public updates and clarity about environmental review documents going forward.
