A $680 million bond referendum approved this week by Wake County voters represents just a small fraction of the school construction needs in the state.
The K-12 Facilities Needs Survey presented Wednesday to the State Board of Education show that North Carolina school districts are reporting $18 billion in school construction needs over the next five years. While there’s some state and local funding available, state board members questioned whether there’s enough money to pay for the school projects.
“When we see $18 billion for this five-year plan, I’m a very optimistic person, but I don’t see us cutting into that number and I think it’s going to go up a lot more during the next five years, particularly with these construction costs,” said Alan Duncan, vice chair of the state board. “So if we’re truly focused on giving a sound public education to our students, that includes a safe and nurturing learning environment.”
Renovation needs rising for schools
Under state law, school boards are required to report their school construction needs every five years to the state board…