Swain awarded $52 million for new middle school
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Swain County is on its way to building a new middle school after securing $52 million in grant funds from the state.
“Hurricane Helene has reiterated the necessity of our students having access to safe, modern and structurally sound learning environments,” State Superintendent Catherine Truitt said in a press release.
“I’m so thrilled to see these grants get into the hands of some incredibly deserving districts as we seek to help every student in the state reach their full potential.”
The Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, awarded through NCDPI, draws on money from the North Carolina Education Lottery. School systems can apply for funds for construction of new school buildings, as well as additions, repairs and renovations. Counties with an adjusted market value of taxable property of less than $40 billion are eligible to apply for the grant, meaning only seven counties in the state are excluded.
The maximum amount awarded for a traditional middle school through the state program is $52 million. To receive the grant, the county has to commit to a 15% match.
The current Swain Middle School is around 70,000 square feet and was constructed in the 1950s. Plans for the new middle school include more than 100,000 square feet of space for a building that will be able to hold up to 500 students. Administration has also planned for new athletic fields that will be used by both the middle school and high school.
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The new middle school will also have a focus on safety, with all buildings connected by single entry.
“Each year, this funding does so much to support districts in modernizing infrastructure to improve safety and to enhance access for students to specialized learning facilities where they gain hands-on experience in new facilities like STEM labs, media centers and in career and technical education fields,” Truitt said of project built through the needs-based grant funds.
Swain County has already purchased the property where the new school will be built — a 17-acre parcel on Black Hill Road in Bryson City. The school district has contracted with LS3P for designs for the project, the same company that designed the new Franklin High School, a project that also received needs-based grant funds from the state.
