Commissioners decline first right on 4-acre parcel and debate $500,000 purchase for new elementary school site

Beaufort County commissioners considered two options to secure a roughly 4‑acre area needed for a new elementary school site and voted to decline their first right of refusal so the City of Washington and the Board of Education may proceed with a proposed land swap.

The school system and the city had signed a memorandum of agreement that presented two paths: the city and school board could complete a transfer or the county could purchase the 4 acres for $500,000. Matthew Cheeseman, superintendent, told the board the school team had believed it owned the 4 acres until a professional survey this spring showed otherwise. “We felt as though that we own the 4 acres of land…we learned that we did not own the land,” Cheeseman said.

County manager Brian summarized the city’s proposal: the city wants to subdivide a portion of a larger park parcel that includes a graveled area between the park and a gym and to pave and stripe it for parking. That gravel area would be included in the 4‑acre parcel if the swap occurs; the city manager, Jonathan Russell, told county staff earlier that the city anticipated…