The Burke County Board of Education is apparently rethinking the property it originally had targeted for a new elementary school that will be built in the eastern part of the county. School Finance Officer Keith Lawson appeared before county commissioners at their March 3 pre-agenda meeting, asking them to approve the purchase price of two parcels of land in Hildebran.
School officials requested to use $675,000 for purchasing land at 305A Third St. SW and on U.S. Hwy 70 W. in Hildebran. The total acreage for both parcels is approximately 14 acres.
According to the agenda, “These parcels have been identified as a potential site for school construction, and upon acquisition, further evaluations will be conducted to determine their suitability for such purposes. If approved, survey and closing costs, as well as other associated costs, will be incurred.”
Local school officials had identified a potential site in the Connelly Springs area for the new educational facility last summer and received approval from the Burke County Board of Commissioners to purchase the $1 million tract. The property search had begun after the district was awarded a needs-based scholarship for a new school from the N.C. Education Lottery.
NEW SCHOOL RESET
According to Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan, the local system is ready to begin the process of making the dream of a new school in the Icard and Hildebran communities a reality.
The storm prompted BCPS officials to ask for and receive a one-year extension, basically a reset for beginning the process, Swan said. The board will schedule at least one community meeting so members of both communities can give input on the project.
“There’s a general statute, you are required by law, to have community meetings, at least one,” Swan stated. “We’re just in the exploration process.”
Swan explained that securing appropriate land for a new school can be a challenge.
He also said the new facility must also have access to adequate water and sewer service, and planning must include logistical details such as separate entrances for cars and buses.
$42M AWARD
Former N.C. State School Superintendent Catherine Truitt visited Burke County in February 2024 to deliver the news that the system had received the multimillion-dollar needs-based scholarship for a new elementary school. One hundred percent of the money came from N.C. Education Lottery funds.
“There was some misconception in the community earlier that this was taxpayer dollars, but all $42 million is lottery money, which is no taxpayer funds,” Swan explained.
The school system plans to use capital reserve money to address any overage costs for the construction, meaning the county will likely open the new school essentially debt-free.
Last year, some members of the Icard and Hildebran area approached the school board to ask about the possibility of updating their existing schools with the funding, rather than building a new facility.
According to Swan, school officials had an architect examine the current buildings and give an estimate of remodeling costs. Bringing Icard and Hildebran elementary schools to 2025 building codes would cost more than $50 million.
Officials also said the grant is specifically earmarked for a new school in eastern Burke County, so remodeling the current buildings is not an option for use of the funds.