LUMBERTON — A schools committee on Thursday recommended buying 48 acres of land off N.C. 711, where the Public Schools of Robeson County might build a central office and a new school.
The Board of Education’s Construction Committee approved taking to the full board a recommendation to buy the land near the state Department of Transportation office for $192,000. The committee also will recommend building a central office and a kindergarten through eighth-grade school on the land and retain the services of sfl+a Architects as designers of the two buildings.
The unanimous voice vote by committee members Randy Lawson, committee chairman, John Campbell, Steve Martin and Mike Smith came after about 90 minutes of discussion during a meeting in the classroom of the district’s Transportation facility at 621 Kenric Road. The recommendations will be on the agenda of the full board’s next meeting, which is scheduled for Nov. 14.
A need to take action drove the discussion among the committee members and other members of the school board in attendance.
“I’m tired of being asked: ‘What have you done?’” said Craig Lowry, school board member.
School attorney Grady Hunt assured everyone that work has been done, particularly regarding finding land on which to build a central office. Hurricane Matthew destroyed the central office on N.C. 72, and in order to get federal money to rebuild the new office must be moved out the flood zone. The school is needed to replace West Lumberton Elementary, which was also destroyed by Matthew.
Hunt said no other land was found to be cheaper in price, suitable for building on, and the right acreage.
“I defy you to find within 10 miles of the central office (on N.C. 72) a site that meets all these criteria,” Hunt said.
The purchase must be approved by the Robeson County Board of Commissioners. The school system already owns 35 acres at COMtech Business Park near Pembroke.
“I don’t have a lot of confidence they’re going to do that,” board member John Campbell said.
Until the school board members can convince the commissioners and the public that the N.C. 711 site is the best option, they need to keep looking at other options, he said. One option is continuing to house central office staff at the Native Angels building at COMtech.
The school system’s lease agreement at Native Angels ends July 31, Hunt said.
There is not enough space for the employees working there now, said Loistine DeFreece, school board member. The employees are in small work spaces or working three to an office.
“They complain all the time about the cubbyholes they are in,” DeFreece said.
Interim Superintendent Shanita Wooten said there are nine months to decide what to do about the lease.
The district is being charged $108,000 a year to rent office space at Native Angels. Building owner Bobbie Jacobs Ghaffar has been before county commissioners and school board members in recent weeks urging the school system to buy the building, and its accompanying 29 acres of land, for $6.3 million.
Instead the district is pursuing plans to build a complex that includes all essential school operations at the N.C. 711 site. The first step, if the land is bought, is to build a central office building. The full board will be presented in November with initial plans for a 60,000-square-foot, two-story building with a price tag estimated at $25 million.
The proposed school would be designed to house 800 to 1,200 students in grades kindergarten through eighth. The school’s estimated cost would be $35 million.
Once detailed plans are created the school could be built in about eight months, said Robbie Ferris, sfl+a owner/CEO and president. That includes the two months it would take to get the necessary permits.
The district can pursue a state money to support building projects, said Erica Setzer, district finance officer. There will be $75 million available. The most the district could receive is $15 million. The deadline to apply is July 31.
If the district received $15 million it would have match with $5 million, she said.
School districts from all over the state will be applying for the money, Setzer said.
“So, what you’re saying is we’d have to get in line,” Lawson said.
“Yes,” Setzer said.
“Considering Hurricane Matthew and the shape we were in before the hurricane hit, we should jump to the head of the line,” Campbell said.
