The Berkeley County Schools advisory committee recommended replacing Hedgesville Middle School as the district’s highest facilities priority and urged several accompanying changes to address enrollment and program needs.

Scott Leopold, a consultant with HPM Enterprises, told the school board that the committee’s unanimous recommendation places a Hedgesville Middle replacement at the top of the district’s Comprehensive Educator Facilities Plan, with an estimated current cost of about $55,000,000. "The highest overall priority was to construct a replacement for Hedgesville Middle School," Leopold said. He also listed a roughly $12,000,000 addition at South Middle School to replace portables and a proposed CTE center accomplished through adaptive reuse with a preliminary budget around $55,000,000.

Superintendent (referenced in the meeting transcript as Dr. Sachs) said the district has been completing 2022 bond projects and must now reflect on next steps as growth continues. "We had about 125 participants" at an Educational Futures Conference that helped kick off public engagement, and Leopold reported the district’s online survey collected "over 2,100 total responses," figures board members cited when weighing priorities.

Board discussion centered on trade‑offs among projects. Leopold and staff emphasized that a fifth comprehensive high school remains a future priority but would consume most bond capacity; one board member asked to ensure a current estimate of $90,000,000 for a potential fifth high school remain on future priority lists. Staff and the consultant repeatedly stressed that placing a project on the CEFP preserves eligibility for potential state matching funds but does not by itself put projects into a bond package.

Leopold outlined a set of smaller projects and maintenance work that the district will keep on the CEFP so state funding opportunities can be pursued; he estimated most of those small projects to be under $1 million to perhaps $2–3 million each. He and district staff said they will pursue pre‑bond architectural services next month to produce refined cost estimates for proposed projects.

The committee also discussed programmatic needs, including a proposed transitional/alternative school for students with significant behavioral needs. Staff identified Jaredstown (a facility expected to come offline when Mount Ridge Primary opens) as a candidate that would require modifications if used for alternative programs.

On next steps, Leopold said staff will present a formal recommendation and specific boundary‑change item for the 2026–27 school year at the board meeting on Monday and prepare CEFP documents for state submittal in December.

No formal vote on CEFP priorities occurred at this meeting; board members asked staff to bring the committee package and more detailed cost estimates back for a public decision.

The board adjourned at the end of the meeting following routine closing motions.