WS/FCS requests $27 million to complete Brunson Elementary School replacement project

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is requesting an additional $27 million from the school capital project’s budget in order to fund the construction of a new Brunson Elementary.

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will vote on the matter on Thursday.

A replacement school for Brunson Elementary is one of several projects on the district’s 2016 bond referendum. 

It was originally budgeted for roughly $25 million and set for completion in 2022. But due to inflation in construction, district officials say they need another $27 million to finish the job. 

Darrell Walker, the district’s chief planning and construction officer, explained this at a Forsyth County Commissioner meeting last week.

“I don't think any of us ever anticipated in 2014, we'd be where we are today," he said. "And it's challenging to say the least in this current market.”

Some commissioners expressed concerns about the request. For Gloria Whisenhunt, that’s partly because reallocating funds to Brunson means taking away from other bond projects. 

“I am disappointed in this. But I don't blame you for it," she said. "I'm just disappointed that an elementary school is going to be $52 million.” 

Michele Jordan has worked at Brunson Elementary for about seven years. She says even though the school was on the 2016 bond, they’ve had to fight to keep the project moving along, and the school’s condition hasn’t gotten any better. 

"The building is old, falling down. It's on a floodplain. Not a ton of repairs have been done to it over the years, just because of the situation of us supposed to be getting a new school," Jordan said.

She says Brunson educators, parents, and neighbors are planning to attend the county commissioner meeting this week to advocate for the funding request. 

“Our students deserve it. Our staff deserves it. The community voted for it," she said. "And that's what we need to do.”

The meeting will be held in the Forsyth County Government Center on Thursday at 2 p.m.

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.