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Board hears capital-projects wrap-up; bus garage redesign underway after fire
Summary
Wilson County Schools trustees heard a report from Dr. Williams on completed 2025–26 capital projects — security vestibules, a new Beddingfield culinary arts classroom, playground fencing and mulch, Fike High School LED field lights, and student health 'wash' centers — and were briefed on a bus garage fire that has forced temporary operations and a redesign process.
Wilson County Schools officials on April 20 reported completion of a slate of capital projects for the 2025–26 school year and provided an update on the district's bus-garage recovery following a November fire.
Dr. Williams, reporting to the Board of Education at its regular meeting, said security vestibules were finished at Barnes Elementary, Elm City Middle, Hunt High, Vick Elementary and Vincent B. Bunn Elementary. He described a vestibule as "a pause point at the front door" that requires visitors to be approved before entering and said the work was funded by capital outlay funds.
The board celebrated a ribbon cutting at Beddingfield High School on April 2 for a newly completed culinary arts classroom that Dr. Williams said provides students a commercial-style kitchen and cafe area for career-technical instruction. He said that project also used capital outlay funds and was developed in collaboration with Beddingfield administrators and instructional services staff.
Other completed projects included playground fencing installed at Barnes and Gardners elementaries and new playground mulch across all elementary schools to improve safety. Dr. Williams also outlined a winterization effort that added heating to outdoor restrooms and athletic buildings at Beddingfield, Fike and Hunt high schools so facilities can remain in use during cold months.
At Fike High School, the district replaced aging wooden-pole field lights with Musco LED fixtures and new secure poles. Dr. Williams told the board the Fike lighting project was completed with funding provided by the Wilson County Board of Commissioners.
The district also unveiled a new "wash" health center at Elm City Middle School — the sixth such center in the district — featuring exam rooms, a waiting area, reception desk and lab space. Dr. Williams said the centers are operated by the Wilson County Health Department and that this work was funded by the Healthcare Foundation of Wilson.
On a larger reconstruction effort, Dr. Williams reminded the board that Springfield Middle School lost its sixth- and seventh-grade wings in a tornado on Aug. 8, 2025. The renovated wings reopened Oct. 20, 2025, after work funded through the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
Dr. Williams closed the capital-projects report with an update on the bus garage fire on Nov. 30, 2025. He said Wilson County Schools engaged builder services for cleanup and to document lost contents, and Barnhill Contracting Company has been retained to complete a redesign and cost estimate for submission to the Department of Insurance. The district is operating out of a leased temporary garage a few miles away; Dr. Williams said the fleet of 84 buses returned to service the day after the incident.
The board received the report as informational; there were no contested votes on the capital-projects items at the meeting.
