SMITHFIELD – The Johnston County Public School Board voted unanimously Tuesday to seek a $285 million bond referendum before Johnston County voters in November 2024.
The last school bond referendum was approved by voters in 2022. The board had requested $253 million that year but county commissioners reduced the bond referendum to $177 million, which was passed with 65 percent support.
Brooks Moore, Chief of Facilities Design and Construction for Johnston County Public Schools, said Johnston County is among the fastest growing counties in the state and among the nine fastest growing counties in the United States. Twenty-three of 44 JCPS campuses are currently at capacity or exceeding capacity, he said.
Moore said there are 167 active subdivisions with over 19,000 parcels in various stages of permitting and construction, which will place a tremendous demand on public schools. He said it has been a difficult task juggling the needs for new school campuses with infrastructure repairs at existing school campuses, some more than 50 years ago.
The proposed $285 million bond referendum does not include construction of any new school buildings, but substantial renovations and expansions at existing campuses.
The bond includes the reconstruction of Clayton High School and build-outs at Corinth Holders Elementary, McGee’s Crossroads Elementary, Thanksgiving Elementary, and Wilson’s Mills Elementary School.
The bond would pay for substantial renovations and upgrades at Cleveland Elementary, Cooper Academy, Corinth Holders Elementary, East Clayton Elementary, Four Oaks Elementary, Innovation Academy, North Johnston High, Princeton Middle/High, Riverwood Elementary, Riverwood Middle, Selma Elementary, Smithfield Middle, Smithfield-Selma Senior High, South Johnston High, West Clayton Elementary, West Johnston High, and Wilson’s Mills Elementary.
In a motion by Kay Carroll and seconded by Mike Wooten, the board voted 7-to-0 to approve the referendum request.
Mr. Carroll said a lot of time had been spent looking at different options on how to address facility needs. He said the school system has been forced to delay maintenance and has “kicked the can down the road.” This bond will allow the school system to make renovations and upgrades, making it a more decent learning environment for students and staff, Carroll added.
The $285 million bond request will now be forwarded to County Manager Rick Hester and the Board of Commissioners for their review and consideration to be placed on the November 2024 ballot.
Prior School Bonds
Johnston County voters have approved a total of $554 million in school bonds in six prior referendums (2001, 2005, 2007, 2013, 2018, 2022) plus $26.1 million in limited obligation bonds authorized by commissioners. As of March 2024, $186.2 million in loans are outstanding on the total school bond debt.
That much money should be building new school buildings, not tacking onto what we already have.
I completely disagree. Our schools are in need of a lot of renovations and repairs. The bond should be focused on building off of and maintaining the buildings we already have
It were a $50M bond I’d agree…this is WAY too much money for just renovations, especially considering the overcrowding already. Someone’s getting mighty rich off the taxpayers without actually building more infrastructure to serve a growing population of new students.
We’ll see how we all vote! Hopefully folks will think about this first.
We need both, renovations to old schools and new schools. Should the children that go to a school that’s 50+ years old suffer just because they don’t live in an area where a new school was just built?
Carroll needs to be kicked down the road.
Taxpayers and parents do you remember when our libreal Mike Wooten would only vote to unmask our kids when he was sure their wasnt enough of votes for it to pass? Liberal Mike and $180-K-Carroll standing shoulder to shoulder to rob your homes of more property taxes to educate all of the NEW COMERS AKA ILLEGALS!!! Keep up the good work liberal Mike our Progressive Democrat plan is working, we Democrats will never let a crisis go to waste!!! Liberal Mike please help get the teacher union teacher April Lee elected so we can finish this job!!! VOTE BLUE UNTIL WE ARE THROUGH!!!
If the commissioners and planning board would deny new subdivisions for a bit it would greatly help reduce the strain on the schools with so many incoming students.
The ones paying for these new schools should be the developers and those getting wealthy selling land and building new houses. They should also be paying impact fees to maintain the infrastructure they are overwhelming as well.
This isbthe obvious solution. However, impact fees have been outlawed by the General Assembly. The fact that the majority of people continually reeelct their representatives, means that most people are fine with it. Want a change? Vote for a change. #VoteOutIncumbents
A great idea! How did you come up with that??? Lol
I wonder why this is not already in place
23 of 44 that means 21 are not at capacity. How about restricting to balance attendance? Oh yea that wouldn’t fill the pockets of the top county officials.
I look forward to seeing you name on the next ballot. Talk is cheap, so step up and let’s see what you’ve got.
If they were to slow down building all these houses and subdivisions we would not have to ask for another referendum…
No matter how much money a school system is given they never have enough. Vote no on a Bond Referendum until there has been an external audit that identifies wasteful spending. Support School Choice!
JoCo deserves the fruits (aka higher taxes) of the people they elect.
The minority should not suffer on account of an uneducated and politically bankrupting majority. That’s why we have checks and balances in government. This is what happens when voting decisions are dictated by feelings and personalities over common sense and policies.
County commissioners are doing a lousy job every two years a bond referendum this will only result in property taxes eventually which is exact why many of us relocated to nc reasons taxes,crime, and education developers should be made to pay for the environmental impact all of these housing developments cause when did these genius commissioners figure out Johnston county was growing
Just know Joco BOA, we are wide awake and watching every move you make. If you slip history will not treat you kindly and I can assure you that you will face the public one way or another.
Let’s see, currently the school system has $186 million in loan debt and they think it’s a good idea to have $285 million more. Sounds like something the federal government would do. The only way to pay this debt is to raise taxes. I’m sorry, this can’t continue. This entire board needs to go. Their rampant mismanagement of resources is ridiculous ( not to mention their childish behavior). Redistricting schools would be a much more efficient way to address crowding concerns. Furthermore, perhaps the top 5 school officials who were just given hundreds of thousands in raises ( Brooks Moore included) would be willing to give those raises back for the benefit of the teachers and students would be a wonderful gesture to their commitment of improving learning, but I bet they will not. The larger the school system, the more money they make. That’s all this is about. Perhaps they could sign a document freezing their salaries for the duration of employment with Johnston county. I bet they won’t.
Wait didn’t they just approve a new high school? Sheesh they like to spend money, especially on themselves.