Burke County Schools board votes 4–3 to relocate Halliburton Academy to Draughn High School

The Burke County Schools Board of Education voted 4–3 on April 27 to relocate Halliburton Academy to Draughn High School for the 2026–2027 school year following an extended debate over safety, program quality and projected budget savings.

Board members who voted yes were Brad Camp, Jamie, Tiana and Aaron; Sonia, Leslie and Reed voted no. The motion was made and seconded on the agenda item and was decided by roll call.

Supporters tied the relocation to a district budget shortfall and to facility concerns. "Every school district, every county got it from the state, a shortfall," said a board member who argued for consolidation, noting a state projection of a roughly $4.5 million shortfall the district must address. Administrators and board members discussed a preliminary renovation estimate of $250,000 for Draughn and said they expected savings to increase in later years. Mr. Lawson (administration) stated, "we're pretty confident there will be a savings in year one." The administration later asked the board to approve three budget amendment items (A, B and C), which the board approved.

Opponents said the standalone Halliburton program — which the board acknowledged had shown academic growth and a long local history — could suffer from being placed on a larger high-school campus. One board member who spoke against the move said she was "not supportive of the move," raising concerns about younger middle-school students sharing a campus with older high-school students, the loss of day-treatment-specific services and a possible reduction in access to career-and-technical-education (CTE) classes that had previously been available at the Halliburton site.

Speakers disputed whether the move would produce the immediate savings presented. A board member who opposed the change pointed to the list of five positions counted as savings and said many had already been cut earlier, arguing that such items should not be treated as new reductions. The opponent also noted the possibility of ongoing custodial and transportation costs for Halliburton students and the risk of an empty building that would still require maintenance.

Public comment before the vote included one speaker, James Cosby, who urged civility and asked the community to "assume good intentions" during contentious discussions. "Assume good intentions," Cosby said, framing his remarks around community unity rather than policy detail.

The relocation motion carried 4–3. The board immediately proceeded to routine business: it approved amended minutes for March 30, passed the consent agenda, approved the personnel action report and adopted board policy 6322 (student assignment to buses) on second reading. The board also voted to enter a brief closed session under the attorney–client privilege statute cited in the meeting.

What happens next: administration will implement the relocation plan for the 2026–27 school year as approved, and the board directed staff to continue monitoring implementation and budget impacts. Several board members called for continued transparency, additional community outreach and close oversight of student supports during the transition.