Duplin leaders back $124.5 million plan for four high schools and authorize grant applications

Duplin County officials on the morning meeting reviewed architect Jimmy Hyde’s concept plans for renovations and additions across all four of the county’s traditional high school campuses and agreed to pursue state grant funding to help pay for the work.

The school board’s chairman introduced the plans, saying the board had decided to keep the four existing high school districts intact and had asked Hyde to produce concept drawings and cost projections. ‘‘We unanimously agreed that we were gonna keep the 4 existing high school districts intact as is today,’’ the chair said while introducing the presentation.

Architect Jimmy Hyde described a mix of new construction and renovations at each site, including new secure front entries, ADA improvements, upgraded intercom and fire alarm systems, replacement of modular classrooms with permanent classrooms, new or renovated gymnasiums, and site work such as parking and stormwater control. For the East Buford (East Duplin) site he gave a projection of approximately $35,000,000. Hyde said the total projected cost across all four sites was $124,535,396, and he emphasized the figures are projections, not firm bids.

Commissioners and board members pressed on cost certainty and methodology. Hyde said costs will be finalized only after detailed plans and competitive bids and that the team used a conservative per‑square‑foot assumption (he cited roughly $350–$400 per square foot as guidance). ‘‘We would not know until we actually did the plans for projects and put them out for bid and got the bids back from the contractors,’’ Hyde said.

The meeting also addressed whether the planned additions would reduce the county’s need for the separate Early College campus. Kevin, who was introduced by the chair to explain the model, said early college allows students to begin college coursework earlier and that the program is different from the comprehensive high‑school model; he said the early college enrolls about 200 students and carries an approximate cap of 50 new slots per school year.

On funding, the chair outlined the principal near‑term opportunity: a state Department of Public Instruction (DPI) capital needs grant program. The chair said the presenter has used the DPI process successfully elsewhere and that site‑level award limits cited in the meeting were up to about $42 million for elementary sites, $52 million for middle sites and $62 million for high school sites; the presenter also noted award decisions and required local match levels depend on the state allocation and application cycle. Hyde and staff said the DPI application usually requires only conceptual plans and supporting graphics and that applications are typically evaluated quickly when the state budget allows awards.

Commissioners repeatedly cautioned that the county does not have the cash on hand to pay the full proposed cost and urged a cautious, prioritized approach to avoid overbuilding. ‘‘We don't have the money to do this,’’ one commissioner said aloud, while also expressing support for the school board to seek outside funding. Several members noted the county has been in a reactive capital‑spending mode for years and said they want to avoid saddling taxpayers with unsustainable up‑front costs.

After discussion, the county commissioners voted to empower the school board to pursue grant applications and other processes necessary to seek funding for the proposal. A motion that the county ‘‘allow the school board to empower whatever processes they need to apply for the grants for this expansion that they presented to us today because we support going forward if we can find financing’’ was made, seconded and approved by unanimous voice vote; the commissioners recorded their support on the record and asked staff whether any additional formal action (a written letter of support, a formal interlocal agreement, or similar) would be needed as part of applications.

The board and commissioners closed with mutual expressions of appreciation and the meeting was adjourned. The school board said next steps include refining plans, preparing DPI application materials (renderings and conceptual spreadsheets) and working with county staff to identify any local match or phased priority list if full funding is not available at once.