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School leaders update commission: Hampton High students expected back January 2026; district hires Burleson Construction for project management
Summary
Carter County Schools staff briefed commissioners that multiple FEMA and mitigation projects are underway after flood damage; Hampton High School reconstruction and sewer mitigation are priorities and a construction management contract with Burleson Construction was approved by the commission's finance committee.
Carter County Schools updated the Board of County Commissioners on July 15 about FEMA-funded recovery projects and the status of Hampton High School reconstruction. The district reported multiple projects in different stages of FEMA review and said it expects Hampton High students to return to a functioning school building early in 2026.
Director of Schools (presenter) said the district has 14 FEMA projects across facilities, with some already obligated and others in the consolidated resource center (CRC) review. The district grouped work affecting Hampton — a sewer-treatment upgrade, stadium repairs and the main campus reconstruction — into CRC to speed coordinated review and funding. The director told commissioners that the district hired a construction‑management firm, Burleson Construction, to oversee the Hampton High restoration and mitigation work.
“Once that project has started, there will be multiple things going on at one time… the timeline was still in place to have those kids back in school on January 1,” the school director said. He described a likely sequence that would include demolition, sewer work, mitigation (including retaining‑wall or slope stabilization work) and staged construction. The director said a bid package for demolition was expected to be issued imminently.
Commissioners pressed for details about staffing and enrollment, and the director said the district has used grant funding to hire dozens of personnel and that he expects enrollment to be near previous levels once students return. The director also addressed insurance questions: district staff said the district has general property insurance on its buildings but that flood insurance is not carried in every circumstance; the director indicated that some flood‑insurance matters are under review for eligibility and reimbursement under FEMA.
At the meeting, the finance committee had advanced a construction‑management AIA contract for Burleson Construction to the full commission. The committee memo and packet included a purchase‑order authorization for project management services; the committee reported it had approved moving the contract forward and conditioned reimbursement on FEMA processes where applicable. The commission approved the committee’s motions during the meeting's finance section.
School officials and commissioners emphasized that sewer mitigation and other infrastructure remedies were essential to restoring the campus and preventing future flooding, and that multiple FEMA and state approvals remain part of the timeline.
Commissioners asked to receive follow‑up figures on specific project cost shares and the school district said it would provide more detailed line‑item numbers after FEMA CRC cost estimates are finalized.
