Burke County Public Schools proposes moving Halliburton Academy into Dron High School wing

Superintendent Dr. Swan proposed relocating Halliburton Academy into an independent wing at Dron High School, saying the district could increase career and technical education access for alternative‑program students and capture roughly $400,000 in annual operating savings.

The proposal, introduced at the April 13 board meeting, would keep Halliburton as a separate school number with its own principal, mascot and graduation while moving classrooms and day‑to‑day operations into four currently vacant rooms at Dron. Dr. Swan said Halliburton’s current enrollment is about 35–36 students (including about 13 credit‑recovery students and roughly 11 students placed for vaping‑policy violations) and that Dron’s available capacity would rise from about 41.5% to an estimated 63% if 30–40 Halliburton students were relocated.

Why it matters: District officials argued the move would reduce per‑student costs at the alternative program, provide more CTE options (foods, carpentry, business, fire, interior design and other pathways) for students who qualify, and consolidate operations to avoid maintaining two small…