The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education voted to move forward with the work to build a new Ashley Elementary School at their meeting on Tuesday.
For more than a decade, community members have been advocating for a new Ashley due to issues with mold and air quality.
The district's 2016 Bond Referendum included funding for the project, but only to cover the design of a new building. The schematic design was approved in March of this year.
WS/FCS Chief Planning and Construction Officer Darrell Walker says the new school will be unique.
“We are looking at little things in design, like no wax floors — be the first one in our district," Walker said at the school board meeting on Tuesday. "Solar lighting in our parking lots.”
Now, he says those designs need to be translated into construction documents which will allow the district to put the project out for bid. It’s a process that will take about six months and $700,000.
The school board voted 7-1 to allocate additional bond funds provided by the county commissioners to move forward with this step.
Officials say the actual construction of the school is estimated to cost $46 million, which is also expected to come from additional bond funding and be completed in the 2026-27 academic year.
*Editor's note: An earlier version of this story indicated the school board vote was 8-1.
Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.