Moore County Schools to Hold Public Hearing Feb. 3 on Superintendent’s Recommendation to Replace Carthage Elementary

Superintendent Dr. Locklear on Monday recommended replacing Carthage Elementary with a new school on a new site sized for about 600 students and asked the board to schedule a public hearing so the community can weigh in.

The recommendation and proposed next step — a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 3 — were presented by Assistant Superintendent for Operations Miss Purvis. She told the board the facility assessment and updated capacity study drove staff’s conclusion that the existing Carthage site (about 7.6 acres) cannot support the district’s projected needs and that repair estimates for the current building start at roughly $11 million, rising to about $13 million–$13.5 million if the gym is included. By contrast, replacement estimates cited to the board ranged as high as $40 million depending on final scope.

“Public hearing is proposed by staff for Monday, February 3rd at 5:30 to receive public input on the superintendent's recommendation for the replacement of Carthage Elementary,” Miss Purvis said during the presentation. Dr. Locklear added that the hearing’s purpose is to let impacted residents and other stakeholders comment on the recommendation before the board acts: “The purpose of the public hearing is to allow the public folks impacted...to provide that feedback to the board on my recommendation.”

Nut graf: The board is asking for community input before deciding whether to move forward with the superintendent’s preferred course — a new 600‑seat school on a new site — and, if supported, to begin site search work including issuing an RFQ for a realtor and coordinating with the Moore County commissioners.

Discussion and context

Miss Purvis reviewed the district’s master facility prioritized list (board‑approved Dec. 4, 2023), the Carthage stakeholder meeting held with town and county officials and parents, and an updated Area 1 capacity study from ITRI. Carthage was built in 1950 with later additions; the facility assessment found roofing, plumbing, electrical, HVAC, windows, lighting, ceilings and bathrooms all in need of extensive work. The gym alone was estimated at about $1.2 million to repair, not including air conditioning installation. The assessment’s repair‑only estimate was roughly $11 million and would not address re‑siting or right‑sizing classroom layouts to modern standards.

ITRI’s updated student‑generation analysis shifted some forecasts since 2022: Sandhills Farm Life is no longer projected to be overcapacity, while capacity pressures are expected at Bass Lakeview. ITRI’s facility optimization mapping showed a 600‑seat Carthage replacement would be optimized to about 87 percent capacity in the 2034 projection the consultant provided — the basis for staff’s recommendation of a 600‑student core.

Board members pressed a range of questions. Mr. Hensley asked why the board was not shown multiple costed courses of action, including renovation, building two smaller schools, or converting a new facility into a middle school in the future: “Why not 2 schools?” he asked several times, urging that alternatives be costed and returned to the board for comparison. Several trustees said they wanted more detail about what would happen to the existing Carthage site if a new facility is built, and whether municipalities that request site‑specific amenities should share the additional costs that choice adds to the project.

Other points raised in discussion

- Town engagement: Purvis said a 2022 Town of Carthage resolution expressed willingness to host a new school on a new site, and a stakeholder meeting with the mayor, town manager, PTA and others “overwhelmingly” preferred a new school (one more person preferred a new site than the existing site, with those favoring the current site not strongly opposed).

- Cost comparisons and procurement: Board members noted that earlier county elementary builds in other districts cost significantly less; staff cautioned that state DPI building requirements and procurement rules (including RFQ selection processes for architects) affect costs and options.

- Alternatives and sequencing: Several trustees proposed exploring hybrid options (build new then renovate the old site to create two smaller community schools, or plan for eventual middle‑school capacity) and asked staff and the construction committee to develop multiple courses of action with associated cost estimates.

Next steps and staff direction

Staff proposed opening a public comment portal on the district and Carthage Elementary websites for people unable to attend the hearing. If the board and county commissioners support moving forward after the public hearing, administration said it would issue an RFQ for a realtor to assist with site identification and then coordinate county and state reviews (permitting, wetlands/perk testing, buildable acreage) on candidate parcels. Staff also said it would convene the board’s construction committee immediately after the Feb. 3 hearing to debrief and refine next steps.

No final board decision on a replacement or site purchase was taken at the work session; the superintendent presented a recommendation and the board agreed to place the public‑hearing item on the regular meeting agenda for action. The board and staff emphasized that public feedback collected before any binding step will inform whether the district proceeds with the superintendent’s preferred path.

Ending: What to watch

- Public hearing: Monday, Feb. 3 at 5:30 p.m. (proposed by staff) — community input will be accepted in‑person and via a web portal that staff said will open when the meeting is announced.

- Construction committee: staff said it will schedule a committee meeting immediately after the Feb. 3 hearing to review public feedback and next steps.

- If the board and commissioners endorse a replacement, administration said the next administrative step would be to issue an RFQ for a realtor to locate suitable parcels and then evaluate them with ITRI and county/state reviewers before any purchase or design work begins.