Haywood County Schools officials on Wednesday reopened discussion of an Innovative Middle School designed to mirror programs at Haywood Early College and to give middle‑grade students earlier exposure to college campus resources and career pathways. The board treated the idea as conceptual during a work session and did not take formal action.

Administrators said the board has $125,000 from a Dogwood grant that has not yet been spent and could be used to develop the middle‑school model, buy devices, or explore existing middle‑school programs elsewhere. Graham (last name not given), speaking for the district, said Haywood Community College’s board of trustees has expressed interest in exploring a partnership that could place the middle school on the HCC campus while moving Haywood Early College into a vacated HCC nursing building.

The proposal presented to the board describes using the HCC nursing building for Haywood Early College and repurposing the current Early College facility for a 6–8 Innovative Middle School. District staff estimated retrofitting the nursing building would cost “around about a million dollars or less,” and said the district’s maintenance staff could do some interior work; the district will pursue cost estimates and work with building and grounds on the scope.

The administration emphasized several constraints. Officials said no final decision would be made at the work session, enrollment and staffing capacity must be evaluated before setting intake numbers, and the project would likely require external capital support such as state capital infrastructure funds, local commissioners’ support or a general obligation bond. Superintendent (title not provided) said Haywood Early College currently includes a substantial number of out‑of‑district students — about 40 percent of the incoming ninth grade — which is one reason the district is considering an earlier program to provide access for middle‑grade students who now seek Early College as ninth graders.

Board members pressed for additional details about capacity, program leadership, and long‑term funding. Miss Fox (first reference by that name in the transcript) was identified as a likely leader or close advisor to replicate the Early College model in a middle‑school format; the district noted there are about 75 siblings of current or former Early College students who have expressed interest. The board also discussed alternatives to using the HCC site if costs or logistics make that option infeasible.

District staff said the feasibility and facilities assessment underway will inform long‑range capital planning. Clark Nexsen (spelled in transcript as Clark Nexon) completed property walkthroughs and will issue written condition assessments by mid‑June; a subsequent phase will rank deficiencies, estimate conceptual costs, and evaluate renovation versus replacement or consolidation. The district expects final feasibility work by early September, after the consultants’ 90‑day contract period.

For now, the board’s next steps are to continue study, have building and grounds review estimated capital work, and determine whether the district is willing to commit capital funds to retrofitting the HCC building. No motion or vote to proceed with the Innovative Middle School was made during the work session.