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Duplin County OKs $32.48 million school capital grant agreement; county must provide $1.624 million match
Summary
The board approved a needs-based public school capital grant agreement for a complete renovation of East Duplin High School — $32,480,000 awarded with a required $1,624,000 local match to be drawn down as project work proceeds; the local match is not in the current budget and will require future amendments.
The Duplin County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 5 to approve a form-of-agreement for a needs-based public school capital grant that will fund a complete renovation of East Duplin High School.
Staff told the board the award totals $32,480,000 and requires a $1,624,000 local match from the county. The grant funding is to be drawn down as project expenses occur over an expected three-year timeline; staff estimated the county’s match would be approximately $406,000 in the current year, about $1,136,800 in the next year and roughly $81,200 in the third year, dependent on the school’s spending schedule.
"It is a renovation of the East Duplin High School," staff said when describing the agreement and noted the required local match is not in the current county budget and would be budgeted through future amendments.
A commissioner asked whether the county must provide the full match up front or whether the match would be spread over the multi-year schedule. Staff replied the grant is reimbursable and the county will provide match amounts as the project draws down funds.
The board then approved a motion to accept the form of agreement and authorized the chair to sign. No vote counts by member name are recorded in the public transcript; the motion was seconded and the board voted to approve the agreement.
Why it matters: The grant would supply federal/state-supported capital funds to renovate an existing high school rather than build anew, while requiring the county to budget a significant local match. Approving the agreement allows the county and local board of education to move ahead with design and implementation steps.
Follow-up steps noted at the meeting: Staff said the county will draw down funds through the public schools fund and route them to the school system. The board was told it will see subsequent budget amendment requests as the county schedules the local match across fiscal years.
Votes at a glance (recorded motions at this meeting): The board approved the agenda (with a late addition to the consent agenda), approved the consent agenda, approved Dec. 1 minutes, approved the school capital grant agreement (authorized chair to sign), entered closed session citing N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143-318.11(a)(3) and § 143-318.11(a)(6), and adjourned until Feb. 2. The transcript records each motion and the board’s verbal affirmation but does not include roll-call tallies by name in the public segment.
