Burke board greenlights site for new school

The gears are officially turning on a new era for elementary education in eastern Burke County. At the May 12 meeting, the board of education voted to purchase land and begin the search for a contractor to build a new elementary school in the Hildebran community.

Fueled by a $42 million NC Education Lottery grant, the eastern Burke County project will replace the aging Hildebran and Icard elementary schools, both of which are more than half a century old.

The board unanimously agreed to purchase land off Third Street and U.S. 70, signing off on the $675,000 acquisition that was approved earlier this spring by the Burke County Board of Commissioners.

The parcel consists of a total of about 14 acres, including approximately 10 acres at 305A Third St. SW and almost 4 acres on U.S. 70 West.

The next step in the process will involve opening bids for contractors, then beginning the schematic design process for the new building. The board also plans to hold at least one, and possibly two, community input sessions this fall in the Icard and Hildebran communities.

During the May 5-6 annual planning session, the board heard a detailed report from architect Hamilton Cort concerning the methods the district could use for selecting a contractor for the project. The Charlotte-based Cort Architectural Group is overseeing the project.

Following a construction delivery methods presentation by Director of Auxiliary Services Dr. Bob Acord, Superintendent Dr. Mike Swan, and Director of Human Services Keith Lawson, the board voted to use the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) method.

This approach involves hiring the construction firm before plans for the school are developed, allowing the architectural firm, school system officials, and the contractors to work as a team to design the new facility. According to research conducted by Acord, Swan, and Recker, other districts who have used the CMAR method have found work is completed in a more timely manner than when using other methods.

Cort said students should be able to move into the new building in the fall of 2028.

NEW GRADING POLICY

In other action, the board adopted a new district-wide policy that aims to bring clarity to how schools handle missing and late assignments, placing the primary responsibility on students while mandating communication and collaboration with parents.

To ensure accountability, the policy mandates detailed documentation of parent contact and work completion plans. At the middle and high school levels, students risk receiving a zero if assignments remain incomplete after parents have been notified and sufficient time has been provided.

Elementary teachers, however, will be encouraged to offer alternative tasks to gauge understanding of learning objectives when work is missing. Students will be granted at least three days to make up work missed due to an absence, and for extended absences, teachers will work with students and parents to establish appropriate due dates. Teachers will have the discretion to grant extensions or exemptions.

STUDENT/STAFF RECOGNITION

At the May meeting, the board of education also recognized several student and staff individuals and groups. Student recognitions included the elementary Battle of the Books champions; elementary and high school art competition winners; and the CHOPPED cooking event winners.

Staff recognitions included Disability Awareness Art Project creator Dwayne Brown; SRO of the Year Megan Chapman of Patton High School; winners of the NC Go Outside Trailblazers Grant; and the district’s public relations team for their 10 Blue Ribbon Awards from the North Carolina School Public Relations Association.