Public Open House Delayed Until Early Summer Due to Active Construction

BY NICOLE BOWMAN-LAYTON

EDENTON — Edenton-Chowan Schools has finalized plans to move John A. Holmes High School students into their new facility in January, with a measured approach that prioritizes safety and a smooth transition.

The school board heard detailed moving plans at its Nov. 5 meeting, including the decision to delay a public open house until early summer 2026 — a choice driven by ongoing construction work across the campus. The meeting was held at the Professional Development Center, located along Blades Street, Edenton.

More about the meeting will be featured in a separate article that can be found by clicking here.

Four-Day Transition Plan

The district will utilize four converted teacher workdays during the week of Martin Luther King Jr. Day — January 19-23, 2026 — to execute the complex move from four temporary locations back into one consolidated building. These days, originally scheduled for the end of the school year, are designated as “frozen” workdays requiring all staff attendance.

“It’s a big school. The teachers have to figure out their way. The students have to figure out their way,” said Angela Jernigan, social studies teacher and School Improvement Team chair member, who presented the transition plan to the board.

The schedule breaks down as follows:

January 20-21: Teachers will finalize first semester grades, complete report cards, and handle packing materials. Each department will have dedicated hour-long tours with the opportunity to ask questions and address concerns. Staff will not need to pack everything in their current classrooms, as they won’t be bringing old items to the new facility.

January 22: A student-only open house will run on a condensed schedule from approximately 8 a.m. to noon. Students will walk through a modified daily schedule, visiting each of their classes with built-in transition periods to learn the building layout. Lunch will be served before dismissal at 12 p.m.

“We plan to walk with the students, if we can, walk with them to each class or at least same floor, because all of the departments will be together,” Jernigan explained. Departments will be grouped by floor — social studies, English, math and science on the second floor; CTE and special education on the bottom floor; and arts in a separate building.

The afternoon will include a staff meeting to discuss what worked and what didn’t work during the open house.

January 23: Final preparations and adjustments based on feedback from the student open house.

Students will officially begin classes in the new building January 26, 2026.

Why No Public Access Yet?

Principal Sonya Rinehart explained that while the building itself will be ready for occupancy in January, the surrounding campus remains an active construction site.

“Even though we will into the building, the campus is still an active construction site,” Superintendent Tammi Ward reiterated during the meeting. “We’ve got to wait until we get clearance for all the property to where we feel like the grounds will be safe and that we’ll be able to do a thorough tour so that everybody can see all the parts of the new campus.”

Construction manager Chris Brabble confirmed the timeline works for his team. “We may be in there working on a few things, but that’s to be expected with punch list items and trying to finalize (projects).”

The district plans to schedule a comprehensive community open house in early summer 2026, before the start of the 2026-27 school year, once all construction is complete and the grounds are fully safe for public access.

Preparing for Technology Challenges

Recognizing potential technology hiccups in a brand-new building, the school is taking precautions.

“Because we are moving into a new building, we’re not sure if tech is going to be up and running or if it’ll run for a few minutes and then it’ll flick out,” Jernigan said. “So we are going to be preparing to have at least two weeks of work that can be done without technology.”

When board chair George Lewis suggested extending that timeline, Jernigan responded pragmatically: “I don’t mind extending it. Some of the other teachers may not like that, but… that’s what we plan to do just in case.”

Building Access and Safety Protocols

All student and bus entry will be exclusively from Oakum Street, not the Broad Street side, which is technically the back of the building. Student parking will also be located off Oakum Street.

The school plans extensive safety protocol reviews during the student orientation, including:

• Bathroom locations and lunch times
• Nursing station and front office locations
• Collaborative spaces
• Fire drill exits
• Lockdown procedures (with spring practice planned)
• Tornado drill procedures

Teachers will actively walk students to classes for at least the first couple weeks and maintain visible hallway presence during planning periods.

“We will be present in the hallways to make sure that students know where to go in case they [need] to ask questions,” Jernigan said.

The standard drop-add period will remain the first five days after students begin classes in the new facility.

Construction Progress and Electrical Work

Brabble provided an update on construction progress, emphasizing that the January move-in date is on track.

“I happened to have had a conversation with someone in Food Lion today when someone asked me about moving in in January. Someone decided to walk up behind me and chime in that it would never happen,” Brabble told the board. “I’m here to tell you it’s going to happen.”

Key recent milestones include:

• Hallway ceiling grid installation started
• All main-floor classrooms complete
• Second-floor classrooms finished with contractors on punch list
• Gym floor sanded, sealed and ready for painting
• Main entrance vestibule glass and security system complete
• Theater high ceiling receiving first coat of paint
• Tennis court lighting installed
• Boy Scout Hut bathroom near completion

Exterior work continues when weather permits, with service yard concrete completed and benches, tables and trash cans being installed in courtyard areas.

Electrical Work Covered by Contingency

The board acknowledged $129,015.08 in electrical work performed by the Town of Edenton for the new high school that was not included in the original construction contract. Brabble reported the construction team has agreed to cover these costs through contingency funds via change order.

An additional $25,000 in electrical work remains, primarily for relocating a utility pole and transformer bank that serves the existing gymnasium and cafeteria but also powers the baseball field. This work would move the equipment inside the baseball field near the batting cage, consolidating infrastructure and improving aesthetics.

Brabble indicated this final electrical work would also likely be covered by construction contingency funds, though the board discussed whether relocating the pole is necessary if it doesn’t interfere with demolition plans.

Transformer Purchase Recommended

The board also considered purchasing a backup transformer for $43,314.11 rather than paying ongoing insurance of approximately $641 monthly (1.5% of transformer cost) to the Town of Edenton.

“The only smart decision is to buy the transformer if you can afford it,” Brabble advised, noting the insurance payment would continue indefinitely while purchasing the transformer provides one-time protection.

Finance Officer Sandy Pittman confirmed sufficient unbudgeted capital outlay funds exist to cover the transformer purchase. The transformer would likely be stored at the town’s substation and available for immediate installation if the primary transformer fails — a critical consideration since transformer replacement can take 30-90 days and would leave the school without power.

Board members questioned whether the insurance option would guarantee transformer availability, with Brabble explaining the town manager indicated they could ensure faster replacement if the district commits to the monthly insurance payment. However, board members remained skeptical about advantages over purchasing backup equipment outright.

The item will return for formal vote at the next meeting with additional clarification from the town.

Citizens’ Concern

Board member Sherrone Battle noted that several residents have asked about the black sections on the Broad Street side of the building, that are located where the stairways are. Brabble said they are part of the design and would be too expensive to replace or paint over. He noted that the front of the building – Oakum Street – also features the black area. It is supposed to be covered with lettering bearing the school’s name.

While Brabble doesn’t expect the black sections on Broad Street to be completely covered, he said that he thinks that once the landscaping and other features are installed, those sections will be less noticeable.