A version of this story was published in The Sylva Herald
Jackson County Public Schools’ new building projects and renovations are nearly twice as much as the county had previously allocated.
This was the main topic of the regular joint meeting between the Jackson County Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners on Jan. 22 where no decision was made, but commissioners and board members could hear and ask questions from the project architects and construction partners.
According to costs presented at the meeting by Vannoy Construction senior project manager Erin Renwick and pre-construction manager Stephen Boyd, many of the individual projects far exceed the original budgets.
The total amount budgeted by the county for the projects was approximately $34 million. Updated projections from Vannoy Construction place the total cost at about $65.2 million, leaving a difference of nearly $30 million that the county does not currently have. These estimates also do not include the costs for building the new middle school.
“Is there a secret stash of $30 million we don’t know about?” asked Board of Commissioners Chairman Mark Letson, as the near $30 million difference became clear.
One of the county’s largest and more urgent projects is Smoky Mountain Middle School, for which the county had allocated $8 million on top of the $52 million provided by the state. However, during the meeting, Renwick and Boyd revealed that there is still no projected total cost for the project since they are still assessing the recently purchased plot.
Superintendent Dana Ayers noted that the middle school is currently the county’s most urgent priority due to a deadline placed by the NC Department of Public Instruction. The NCDPI gave the county a needs-based grant of $52 million from the state on Sept. 27, 2024. One of the stipulations of this grant was that construction on the middle school would need to break ground within 24 months of this date.
Breaking ground would mark the shift from the planning phase for the middle school to actually beginning the construction.
The Board of Commissioners acknowledged that these projects are necessary, but reiterated concerns over how the county will pay.
“I think that all of these things are needed. It’s just how do we find the time and the money?” said Letson.
The new projected costs led board members to discuss ways to reduce costs by adjusting the timelines on certain projects. By the end of the meeting, it was agreed they would put the bus garage project on the back burner and focus on the school improvements.
“My priority is to look at things that are forward-facing for our students on an everyday basis,” Ayers said, reinforcing her commitment to the long-term well-being of the students.
Board of Education member Kim Moore expressed her hopes that all these projects would be fully realized in the future, a sentiment echoed by members of both boards.
“I really hope in the next ten years we’ll see all of this stuff at least starting to take place somewhere along the line because our kids deserve it,” said Moore. “Jackson County deserves it.”
While securing funding could be a major hurdle for the district, progress is continuing, according to Ayers.
“Things are happening,” she said. “And it’s really exciting.”
Renovations at Smoky Mountain High School were initially budgeted at $4.2 million but are now projected to be almost $11 million. Fairview Elementary School renovations were budgeted at $4.2 million as well, but are projected to be $9.6 million. The most expensive project, Blue Ridge School and Early College, was budgeted at $15.2 million and projected at almost $39 million. Jackson County’s bus garage renovation was budgeted at $2 million and is now projected at nearly $6 million.
Several of these projects include major facility upgrades. During Pinnacle Construction’s section of the meeting, Randy Baker detailed the base asks and considerations for these projects.
SMHS’s track and field complex base plan calls for an eight-lane track with all the necessary fields inside, while additional considerations ask for restrooms and a concession building. The high school’s stadiums are also being renovated, with the base plan focusing on upgrades that would make the home stands ADA-compliant and possible upgrades to the stadium’s visitor facilities and field house.
Renovations at Fairview call for an upgraded kitchen and cafeteria, while considerations include a presentation stage and outside dining.
Blue Ridge’s base plan asks for an upgraded gym, cafeteria, kitchen, and additional classroom. Originally, a performing arts center was considered, but it may not be feasible due to limited land.
