The application that hopes to net Macon County up to $62 million in grant funds for the new Franklin High School project is now in the hands of the state.
On Dec. 19, 2023, Macon County Schools Superintendent Josh Lynch submitted the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund (NBPSCF) grant application to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction for the maximum allowable grant of $62 million.
Along with the application, Lynch submitted a four-page cover letter, building cost summaries for the new FHS and the football stadium, the 2022 FHS facility assessment, the LS3P renderings of the proposed new FHS, and the May 2023 memorandum of understanding between MCS and Macon County to reaffirm their commitment to the project.
Funded by the N.C. Education Lottery, the NBPSCF grant application period was open from Nov. 13, 2023, through Friday, Jan. 5. High school projects can receive up to $62 million, an increase from $50 million in 2022-23, the last grant period. The N.C. General Assembly appropriated $254 million for the NBPSCF grant for 2023-24.
“I think we all feel pretty strongly that our application checks a lot of the boxes DPI has communicated as far as prioritization,” LS3P’s Emily Kite said. LS3P has worked with Macon County on designing the project and the grant application. “A lot of indicators like being shovel ready and consolidation [of a school] makes the grant outcome a high probability, but no confirmation that we’re a shoo-in. I think we’ve done the best job we can.”
Most school systems in North Carolina are eligible to apply. There’s no indication of how many grant applications NCDPI received by the Jan. 5 deadline. Kite said they expect NCDPI to give feedback in late January/early February.
Macon County previously applied for the grant in 2022 for FHS, finishing two spots short of being funded. NCDPI has awarded the grant since 2017, aiming to boost capital projects in smaller school systems.
According to the application, the new FHS project is estimated to cost $133,565,630. Kite said there’s no final budget amount. So far, Macon County has spent $2,807,264 on design fees for advanced planning, construction documents and site due diligence.
The application’s estimated project costs include $13,742,430 in “other costs,” which are direct costs on the project that may include items such as “site surveys, materials testing, site utilities, geotechnical reports, etc.”
The building cost summary, completed Nov. 10 and submitted with the application, estimates Phase One and Three - the building of the new FHS and demolition of the current FHS – at $104,069,693. Phase Two – the stadium complex, is estimated at $15,484,599.
The building cost summaries are $268,908 short of the estimate of the Dec. 19 application estimate minus the “other costs.” No explanation was received from MCS on the difference.
Kite said there were “no big changes” after receiving public feedback following the October unveiling of the FHS plans. Macon County going to the Local Government Commission for full financing approval is contingent on the NBPSCF grant. That would happen in the first half of 2024, according to Kite.
The grant application anticipates the full bid date of April 1, 2024, with construction starting on July 1, 2024. Full completion, including the tear down of the old FHS, would be January 2027. The plan is to start the 2026-27 school year in the new FHS.
According to the eligibility template released on Oct. 13, 2023, Macon County would have to match up to 5% of the project due to having an adjusted real estate value below $10 billion. For the maximum amount of $62 million, the 5% match would be $3.1 million. Macon County’s recent audit showed its current fund balance is more than $51 million. The local match can be paid with cash, reserves and limited obligation bonds.
The four-page cover letter details the project timeline, starting with the 2022 LS3P campus assessment. That report recommended a new FHS to replace the current campus, rather than renovating. The cover letter mentions the Americans with Disabilities Act noncompliance, the lack of space, the number of buildings creating a security problem, plus the escalating yearly maintenance upkeep.
The cover letter also mentions the proposed consolidation of Bartram (formerly Union) Academy into the new FHS. The letter explains how the current Bartram Academy building on Union School Road could become a Pre-K school after construction of the new high school is finished. This, the letter explains, would alleviate space issues caused by the demand for Pre-K classrooms at other elementary schools.
“A new facility will align the learning environment with the excellent variety of courses and instruction available at Franklin High School, offer expanded pathways and opportunities for career ready and alternative high school students, enhance teacher recruitment and retention, and will strengthen community pride in these growing, life-long citizens of Macon County,” the NBPSCF grant cover letter states.