Alamance County approves five school capital grant applications and release of R&R funds for Graham High canopy

The Alamance County Board of Commissioners voted to approve five applications to the state school‑based capital fund and to release repair-and-renovation (R&R) lottery funds to replace the covered walkway (canopy) system at Graham High School.

A county school official outlined the five grant applications: a Southern Middle School roof project already in the county’s capital improvement plan (CIP) and four HVAC projects for Southern Alamance High, Eastern Alamance High, Western Alamance High and Graham Middle School. The school official said the county is a Tier 2 county for needs‑based grants, so local matching requirements apply. If the county received all four HVAC grants, staff said the county match across those projects would total about $3,000,000; the Southern Middle School roof grant would carry a county match near $700,000, with approximately $1.1 million already allocated in the CIP for that roof.

Commissioners also approved releasing R&R funds for the Graham High canopy project. School staff explained the canopy is concrete with internal reinforcing steel; corroding rebar is causing concrete to spall and fall in places, creating a safety concern for students, staff and visitors. The R&R funds (lottery-derived repair and renovation funds) can be used only for school repairs; staff said the project is time sensitive because the state releases construction funding only after design approval and the work must be completed while students are off campus.

Both motions were approved without recorded roll-call tallies. Staff said the grants, if awarded, would reduce the county’s CIP costs; if only some grants are awarded the county would adjust project sequencing in the CIP.

The board also approved a separate motion to apply the same process to any awarded funds and to proceed with required bidding after state approvals.