Board approves $10.16 million MEP allowance for new Woodland junior high as neighbors urge alternate sites

President Tim Hudson convened the July meeting of the Fayetteville Board of Education and the board approved a $10,157,846 allowance for mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) work related to the new Woodland junior high project.

The allowance was presented to the board to keep site work moving while the district and the design team complete a value-engineering review intended to bring the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) closer to budget. Dr. Williams, giving the construction update, said the revised GMP will be presented in September and that the MEP allowance “will be credited to the MEP portion of the overall GMP.”

The allowance vote followed a public comment period in which several residents urged the board to reconsider the district’s east-of-College Avenue site, citing geology, steep slopes, tree loss and neighborhood traffic impacts.

Why this matters: The district is simultaneously pursuing construction of a new junior high and upgrades to existing athletic facilities; approving the MEP allowance keeps the construction schedule on track but also drew renewed public scrutiny of the chosen build site.

Details of the vote and project: Board member Nica Weitzman moved to approve the MEP allowance and Yvonne Hudson seconded. The motion passed 6–0. Dr. Williams told the board the allowance, if approved, “would increase the current board approved GMP to $24,686,834” for the MEP portion; the design team is continuing value engineering to reduce the overall GMP to the board’s target budget.

Public concerns raised: Dot Neely, a Fayetteville resident and geologist, told the board the Ramey site “is on a hill slope, on a very steep hill slope,” and described local bedrock as Fayetteville shale that she said is expansive when wet and contracts when dry — creating long-term foundation risk. Neely said adapting the steep site “is going to cost millions of dollars,” and that an Environmental Action Committee discussion had estimated at least $10 million to adapt the site.

Local residents reiterated concerns about trees and traffic. Andrea Forney read a recent column criticizing past site decisions and warned about cutting century-old oaks and the cost of a proposed parking garage. Susan McDonald and Joe Newman also urged preservation of the forested parcels and asked the board to consider renovating the existing Woodland campus instead of building on a forested hillside. Newman pressed the board for additional traffic study for Ash Street and Township Road, saying both roads have sharp turns and limited sidewalks that would be strained by peak drop-off and pickup traffic.

District response and next steps: Superintendent Dr. Mulford told the board the district had worked with city leaders to explore alternative parcels but that covenants on those parcels prevented a feasible swap. He said the city “worked really hard” but the alternative sites were not available.

The board’s approval of the MEP allowance was framed as a schedule-preserving step while the design team completes value engineering and finalizes the GMP. The construction update also listed other active capital projects including the high school parking garage (building permit issued 07/07/2025), Leverett Playground (decking permit issued 07/14/2025), and Ramey Field renovations; the board is scheduled to review a civil engineering proposal for Ramey Field in August.

Ending: Board members said they expect an updated GMP and additional budget details in September and that the district will continue to coordinate with city staff on site and traffic issues raised by residents.