Northampton Schools ask county for up to $4.2 million as bids exceed grant funding

Northampton County Schools told the Board of Commissioners that the design for a new high school funded by a needs‑based Department of Public Instruction grant totals $61,948,156, but the lowest construction bids exceeded the project budget by $10,958,553, a gap reduced to $6,481,622 after scope reductions.

The school system, represented by Superintendent Rosa Atkins and project lead Phil Matthews, asked the county to take three actions: allocate an expected $1.2 million in sales‑tax reimbursement toward construction costs; fund a stadium and track plus culinary equipment and window treatments totaling $4,198,848; and waive county permit and inspection fees for the project. "This revenue is expected to be $1,200,000," Matthews said when describing the sales‑tax reimbursement the school expects to recover on construction materials.

Why it matters: the grant is lottery‑funded and requires DPI accounting. Matthews said written DPI guidance indicates sales‑tax reimbursement must be returned to the lottery fund and applied to the grant; school staff said they are seeking written confirmation specific to Northampton County. Matthews also said the school has applied for New Markets Tax Credit financing and that decision is still pending; staff cautioned the board not to rely on the tax credit until it is confirmed.

Key details: the schools reported options if the county does not provide the requested funding — the board could reduce the building by about 10,000 square feet (eliminating CTE spaces such as cosmetology, HVAC and advanced manufacturing) to bring costs within the grant ceiling. Matthews outlined bid‑expiration dates between Feb. 7 and Feb. 20 (as discussed with commissioners) and noted that schedule constraints could require a special meeting if the board wishes to take action before bids close.

Questions and next steps: commissioners asked for written confirmation from DPI about the handling of sales‑tax reimbursement and discussed the feasibility of scheduling a special meeting before the bid deadlines. The schools said they would provide updates and that no final decision or vote was expected at this meeting.

The schools' representatives in the presentation included Rosa Atkins, Phil Matthews, architect Harold Bowen and construction manager Blair Bordeaux. The board will consider the school requests and any formal appropriation at a later meeting after the parties provide the requested documentation and additional details.