Burke County superintendent outlines plan to move Halliburton Academy into secured wing at Dron High School

Superintendent Mike Swan of Burke County Public Schools outlined a plan to relocate Halliburton Academy into a secured wing at Dron High School at a special‑call meeting, saying the move would preserve Halliburton’s separate identity while reducing costs.

Swan said the district expects about 30 high‑school students and one middle‑school student to enroll at Halliburton in August and that the district currently spends about $37,620 per student at Halliburton versus $9,000 per student at a traditional school. “The relocation would save the district a minimum of $400,000 annually,” Swan said, adding that the savings are equivalent to roughly 9.8 teaching positions the district could use to sustain programs and smaller class sizes elsewhere in the county.

Swan and Vern McKissick, the consultant from McKissick Architecture who presented capacity findings, said a five‑year facility study shows Dron High School has practical capacity to house Halliburton in a separated wing without combining students’ core…