Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Education Capital topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Transylvania County details $200M-plus capital program, orders temporary closure and shoring at Rosman gym
Summary
The Board received a detailed capital update including school bond work, a structural closure and shoring plan for the Rosman Middle/High School old gym, and timelines for GMP 1 (summer 2026) and GMP 2 (fall 2026). Officials said more than $100 million of the countywide $200M+ portfolio is grant-funded, including a $62M state grant to the school system.
Transylvania County officials on Feb. 9 outlined an extensive capital program that includes more than $200 million in projects countywide and immediate safety work at Rosman Middle/High School.
County Manager Jaime Laughter told the Board that roughly $100 million of the total comes from grant funding, including a $62 million state grant awarded to the school system. The Joint School Bond Project Committee approved the first phase of bond-funded work to begin in summer 2026 under a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) 1 framework, officials said.
Superintendent Dr. Lisa Fletcher and Project Manager Beecher Allison briefed the Board on a revised engineering recommendation for the Rosman old gym. The structural engineer advised that temporary shoring be installed before additional work proceeds under GMP 2. In response, the Superintendent ordered the gym closed immediately "to prioritize public safety," and staff began developing an updated life-safety plan to allow limited occupancy once approved by Building Inspections and the Fire Marshal, the Manager said.
Allison described the cause as compounding factors, including water infiltration that corroded structural steel and damaged bar joists supporting a slab near the main entrance. He said the shoring work is included in the existing Rosman Area scope and could be completed quickly once the design and mobilization steps are finalized.
Officials reviewed project timelines and financing: many schematic design drawings have been submitted to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) for review, GMP 1 work is scheduled for summer 2026, GMP 2 construction is anticipated to begin in fall 2026, and officials project substantial completion of major scopes by summer 2028. The Manager said the County currently has more than $200 million in capital work in development, underway, or planned and that about $164 million of that investment is dedicated to school facilities.
The Board and staff emphasized the differences between construction status and financial reporting: Finance Director Meagan O’Neal warned that invoices and change orders create a 60–90-day lag in financial statements, so payments and encumbrances may trail on-the-ground progress. The second-quarter financial report received at the meeting showed General Fund revenue of approximately $41.6 million and expenditures of about $33.9 million through Dec. 31, 2025.
Next steps: the project team will refine GMP 2 pricing this summer, continue NCDPI reviews, finalize life-safety and temporary shoring drawings for Rosman old gym, and post improved capital reporting to the County website for increased transparency. The Joint School Bond Project Committee’s decisions on GMP 1 funding schedule the first construction activities for summer 2026.
