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Burke County board schedules vote on Halliburton Academy’s future after facilities discussion
Summary
Board members discussed possible reuses for the Halliburton building and the Chesterfield campus and unanimously added a vote to next week’s agenda to decide whether to relocate Halliburton Academy to the district’s drone-high-school wing. District staff presented demolition and land-sale estimates for Chesterfield.
The Burke County Board of Education voted to place a decision about the Halliburton Academy’s future on the agenda for its next regular meeting, after a lengthy discussion of building reuse, community interest and district liabilities.
During updates, Superintendent Dr. Swan told the board she and staff had received community inquiries about repurposing the Halliburton building if the current tenant’s contract ends. Board members debated options including leasing space to arts groups, a YMCA-run teen center, daycare, or other community uses. With the board unable to reach a final determination, a board member moved to add a formal vote to next week’s agenda to decide whether to relocate Halliburton Academy to the district’s drone-wing/high-school campus; the motion was seconded and the board agreed unanimously to add the item.
The board also discussed the Chesterfield campus, which the district has not occupied for some time. Dr. Swan said the administration is preparing a separate May presentation on demolishing Chesterfield; she reported an estimated demolition cost of about $245,000 and an estimated vacant-land sale value near $350,000 under the scenario presented, figures that staff said would leave the district with a roughly $100,000 difference in the example discussed. Board members questioned whether the district should pay for demolition or sell the property ‘as-is’ for another party to remove the structure, noting risks that long-vacant buildings can become nuisances.
Several board members stressed that decisions affecting physical facilities should be made by the full board. Because community members and local officials had expressed opinions—some opposed to retaining the Halliburton building—the board chose to bring a binding decision to the next meeting to provide a clear outcome.
What happens next: The Halliburton relocation/repurposing question will appear on next week’s regular-meeting agenda for a formal vote. The Chesterfield demolition plan will be presented in May for additional board consideration; staff will provide the more detailed cost and timeline information needed for a final decision.
