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State awards $62 million for new Franklin High School, officials announce
Summary
State Superintendent Catherine Truitt announced a $62,000,000 grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to build a new Franklin High School. Local officials described a planned 1,400‑student facility with expanded CTE programming; county officials will be responsible for the building costs.
State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt announced a $62,000,000 grant to Macon County on Jan. 23, 2024 to fund construction of a new Franklin High School, officials said at a joint meeting of the Macon County Board of Commissioners and the Macon County Board of Education.
The award, announced during a special meeting called by Board Chairman Gary Shields, follows a DPI review of a grant application that Sen. Kevin Corbin said he helped coordinate with local school and county leaders. "The funding model for the grant funding requires the county to pay for brick‑and‑mortar and the state funding to pay for positions," Corbin said, summarizing the split in responsibilities tied to the program. Representative Karl Gillespie added, "it is not his or Senator Corbin's job to make local decisions, but it is their job to ensure they bring available funding back to our district."
The proposed design, presented by Emily Kite of architecture firm LS3P, calls for a consolidated campus with roughly 1,400 student capacity, about 30 classrooms dedicated to Career and Technical Education (CTE), consolidation of the alternative high school program, expanded athletic facilities, a secure single front entrance and an outdoor courtyard. LS3P said it is targeting an April–July timeframe to start construction should the grant be finalized.
Superintendent Josh Lynch and CTE Director Colleen Strickland told the boards CTE offerings have grown from eight pathways to 20, including specialties such as aviation, basic EMT, computer science, robotics, welding, automotive and carpentry. Truitt noted the current Franklin High School is not ADA compliant and described multiple entrance points as a safety concern.
Local business and municipal leaders voiced support at the meeting. Franklin Chamber of Commerce President Matt Corbin read a letter endorsing the project, and Town of Franklin Mayor Jack Horton said the town will adopt a supporting resolution at an upcoming budget retreat.
County officials did not take any formal local funding vote at the meeting. The announcement is an award from the state agency; according to speakers the county will be responsible for the building costs and next steps will include local planning and budgeting. With no other business, Commissioner Josh Young moved to adjourn, Commissioner Danny Antoine seconded, and the board voted unanimously to adjourn at 12:22 p.m.
