Board presses county after refusal to reallocate $1.3 million in project savings
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Summary
Trustees learned the county declined to let the district reallocate $1.3 million in savings from a New Hanover High School repair project to other capital needs. Board members urged staff to pursue alternatives, and the superintendent will hold follow-up talks with the county manager before the board revisits the request.
The New Hanover County Schools board debated whether to press county officials after the county declined to approve a reallocation of $1.3 million in project savings from New Hanover High School structural repairs.
Staff told trustees the county manager and county staff did not recommend approving the transfer because the county had returned the funds to its general fund balance and did not view the work as an emergency. The staff presentation noted the savings were realized because the district completed work on time and under budget.
A committee member (speaker 10) framed the point bluntly: "We were on time and under budget. We were able to save $1,300,000," and urged the board to seek a remedy. Another trustee (speaker 3) responded: "It almost feels like being punished for doing the right thing," expressing frustration that the county would not simply reallocate savings.
Board members debated two options: resubmit a request now asking the county to fund the underground storage tank replacement and lift-station work, or include those needs in the district’s larger capital request this summer. Several trustees warned that asking now could reduce the district’s leverage in the major April/July capital cycle; others said the urgency of replacing aging infrastructure justified immediate pursuit.
Rather than make a formal motion at the meeting, trustees agreed the superintendent and chair would pursue informal conversations with the county manager in the next two weeks to explore avenues for earlier funding and return to the board with recommendations. The board also emphasized the project would be prioritized as a top need if the board decides to seek immediate county funding.
The district’s staff presentation said, if funded through the capital process, the project’s dollars would not be available until July; trustees described that delay as a risk for an underground storage tank that staff reported had exceeded its expected life and continued to be inspected on a required schedule.
The board did not take a formal vote on a funding request at this meeting; instead it directed staff to follow up and report back to the full board.