Northampton Schools ask county to cover $4.2 million shortfall after high school bids exceed grant

Northampton County Schools Superintendent Rosa Atkins and project leads told the Northampton County Board of Commissioners that bids for a state‑funded new high school exceeded the grant award and that the school system is seeking county support to close the gap.

"In August 2022, Northampton County Schools was awarded a $61,948,156 grant from the Department of Public Instruction," Superintendent Rosa Atkins said. Phil Matthews, who presented the project update, told commissioners the bidding process produced a total overrun: "the project came in 10,000,000 958,553 over budget," and subsequent scope reductions lowered that gap to $6,481,622.

The school system is asking the county for three specific commitments if the county chooses to help: (1) allocate the expected sales‑tax reimbursement on construction materials—Matthews said that revenue is expected to be about $1.2 million—toward the project; (2) waive county permit and inspection fees for the school construction; and (3) fund certain local facilities and equipment the schools want added back, including a football stadium and track, culinary arts equipment and window treatments. Matthews summarized the local ask as a $4,198,848 commitment from the county if the schools do not secure additional outside financing.

Matthews said the schools have applied for New Markets Tax Credit financing that could reduce or eliminate the local ask. "We have applied for [New Markets Tax Credit] and they contacted us today," he said, and added that while the response looked promising he cautioned, "hope is not a strategy. So we can't count on it until we have it."

Commissioners and staff asked scheduling and process questions. Matthews said bid receipt dates fall in February and that the bids’ timing may require special meetings if a prompt county decision were needed. On whether recovered sales tax could be retained locally, Matthews said written guidance from the Department of Public Instruction indicates lottery‑funded grants must return recovered sales tax to the lottery fund and that the state would reallocate it back to the project; he said county staff were pursuing written confirmation for Northampton’s particular situation.

No formal vote or commitment was taken at the meeting. The schools presented the request for consideration and said a follow‑up from commissioners would be required before the bid deadlines noted in February.