New Wilson’s Mills High School To Cost $113 Million

The school board approved a contract with Barnhill Contracting Company that caps the maximum construction cost of the new Wilson’s Mills High School at $99,816,808. “Miraculously, this price is only $1,652,508, or 1.7%, over the original 2022 budget,” noted Brooks Moore, the school system’s chief of facility design and construction.

With this agreement, total cost of the new school is now $113,122,636, Mr. Moore told the board. That’s about $3.3 million over an original estimate, he said.

Board member Kay Carroll cast the only vote against approving the cost-cap agreement after registering a complaint about the school’s design. “Interior classrooms (with no windows) are something we should not be doing,” he said.

Although she voted in favor of the agreement, Michelle Antoine said she was in agreement with Mr. Carroll and cited other design elements she didn’t like including a front vestibule located next to the cafeteria with the library on top of that.

The board also expressed interest in learning more about the pros and cons of installing synthetic turf instead of grass on the main football and soccer field.

The Smithfield Weekly Sun

12 COMMENTS

  1. You see our liberal progressive $180-K-Carroll gets it, folks it just free money that we are throughing into our Durham County style school system. He understands that we have recruited Durham County teachers and if they don,t see the liberal progressive political support from him they will be out of here. The money they want is in the bank because of the property tax revaluation every four years instead of every eight years. Now lets support our public schools and spend that money that was capsured four years earlier!!! Sister Andrews is hauling the extra millions in the front door of the Tax Office and Ma Andrews is taking it out the back door down to the school board!!!

  2. Being $3 million OVER budget is considered “miraculous”?!?!?!?!? The fact that no one sees how ludicrous his statement is, tells me all I need to know about JoCo voters.

    • Well, when you consider how much Biden-flation we have had since the original estimate that is miraculous. The same cost inflation that affects your food, gas and eating out has also affected construction.

  3. Our school board is filled with idiots, not even getting started on school design, but considering turf fields? Why the f*** would they ever think that is a good idea? It’s well known fact now that turf causes significantly more injuries. The fact they are even considering installing it at new facilities shows they lack any reasonable brainpower. Gonna ruin a lot of young athletes careers if they do.

  4. No windows to the outside are just one way to protect our children from a gun crazed culture, and it’s a shame. NC State had a notorious classroom building with no windows, now just a memory. Sort of like attending school with never a thought that you might get blown to bits while you’re there.

  5. Wilson Mills don’t need a high school it isn’t a big town.I feel like they are slowly dividing Smithfield Selma High School

    • They need a high school between Corinth and sss. That side of Clayton is growing faster than any part in joco, save for the Cleveland area. That being said…you are correct. But this board and brooks are clueless….

  6. Correct me if I’m wrong, and I certainly could be but, aren’t bids awarded on the price to build? If a company bids a job and then they change the price, that doesn’t sound legit to me.

  7. Perhaps brooks, Brady and the rest of his cabinet would be willing to give up their massive raises they just got to help offset the cost increase? Put your money where your mouth is.

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