By Nicole Bowman-Layton

EDENTON – With a little over a week remaining before students walk through the doors of the new John A. Holmes High School, final preparations are accelerating as the building transitions from a construction site to a functioning school.

Students will begin classes in the new facility on Monday, January 26, marking the end of three years spent scattered across three different campus locations.

The Edenton-Chowan Schools Board of Education received an update on the transition during its Jan. 13, 2026, meeting. About 40 people were in attendance, besides the board. Also, the American Legion made a donation to the school in honor of the opening. More details from the meeting will appear in future articles.

Key Dates

The transition unfolds rapidly over the next several days:

• Jan. 15-16 – Early release for students in grades 9-12
• Tuesday, Jan. 20 – Community prayer service at 5:30 p.m. in front of the new main entrance on Oakum Street
• Jan. 20-23 – Teachers move materials and set up classrooms while school remains closed for high school students
• Thursday, Jan. 22 – Student open house from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Students will go through an abbreviated schedule of their classes to tour the facility and learn building layout.
• Friday, Jan. 23 – Key exchange ceremony at 11:30 a.m.
• Monday, Jan. 26 – First full day of classes; flag-raising ceremony with American Legion Post 40 handing over two 5-foot by 8-foot American flags to the JROTC for the school’s two outdoor flagpoles.

American Legion Donates Flags

At Monday night’s school board meeting, American Legion Post 40 Commander Ed Matthews and Vice Commander Lex Davis presented the school with classroom flags and mounting brackets, plus two 5-by-8-foot flags for the building’s exterior flagpoles.

“Since 1919, the American Legion has proudly supported the youth of our nation and one of the ways we do that is events like this,” Matthews said. “We have our brand new high school and we are proud, very, very proud, to sponsor the purchasing of the flags for all of you.”

The American Legion will present the two exterior flags to the Junior ROTC program, which will conduct the flag-raising ceremony on January 26 — the first day at the new school.

Principal Sonya Rinehart accepted the donation on behalf of the school, thanking Post 40 for their continued support of John A. Holmes students.

Prayer on Jan. 20

Community members are invited to gather for prayer at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 20, in front of the new main entrance on Oakum Street.

The service offers an opportunity for the community to come together and bless the new facility before students arrive.

Construction Progress Report

Construction Manager Chris Brabble provided an enthusiastic update to the school board Monday night, describing the rapid progress as workers put finishing touches throughout the building.

“Every day that I walk in there, I tell people, ‘When you go in every day it’s like…’ You know, I walk in today and it’s like, ‘Wait, that wasn’t there yesterday,’” Brabble said. “It’s almost around the clock, people in there working, and Lucas (Schmidt, with MB Khan) and his team are doing a great job to get us ready for school on the 26th.”

Inside the Building

The classroom wing is undergoing final cleaning as furniture arrives and takes shape. Desks and chairs are being assembled and positioned, with some classrooms already looking complete.

“Some of the classrooms, the desks and the chairs are actually starting to sit in place and the classroom is starting to take shape, which is really cool to see,” Brabble reported.

Over the weekend, the moving company transported items that had been in storage for two years, delivering totes to classrooms where teachers will soon unpack them.

Professional movers are scheduled to begin relocating construction and CTE (Career and Technical Education) equipment on Thursday (Jan. 15), allowing teachers to set up their labs.

A critical milestone was reached this week with the elevator. The monitoring company required under new code — which mandates 24/7 camera monitoring of elevator cars — is scheduled to complete installation this week, providing the final safety component needed for building occupancy.

The geothermal heating and air conditioning system is fully functional, with air balancing nearly complete.

“The entire mechanical system is up and functioning. There’s no temporary services in that area,” Brabble said.

Gymnasium and Core Wing

In the gymnasium area, workers are applying final coats of paint and installing baseboard. The Hall of Fame display in one hallway is complete, while work continues on displays along the front wall of the gym opposite the cafeteria.

“It is really starting to look beautiful in there,” Brabble said.

The kitchen is expected to be complete this week. Workers installed the condenser for the walk-in cooler/freezer on Monday, the last major piece of equipment. The health inspector is scheduled to visit Friday (Jan. 16) for final approval.

As a contingency, the old cafeteria will remain operational through at least the second week of school to ensure students can be fed if any issues arise with the new kitchen.

“Lucas done a great job of making sure we would have somewhere to feed the kids,” Brabble noted.

The theater is taking shape with seating frames installed. Workers will begin installing stage rigging this week, with the wood stage floor planned for early February.

Exterior Work

Outside, workers are pouring concrete pads and curbs, and installing the flagpoles needed for the Jan. 26 ceremony.

Landscaping on the Broad Street side of the building — what was originally the front but now serves as the back entrance — is progressing rapidly.

“The yard is starting to really take shape and look good. We have bushes and trees and irrigation,” Brabble said. Workers were installing irrigation systems Monday.

Temporary construction fencing will soon be removed, revealing the full exterior of the building and “giving the front of the building a new life,” according to Brabble.

The Boy Scout hut is ready for paint and trim-out in the bathroom areas.

Tennis courts await warmer weather. The paving company needs temperatures of 40 degrees and rising to complete what’s called a “virgin pour” — a single batch of asphalt poured at once to ensure consistency. Workers hope to complete the courts within the next few weeks.

One unique feature of the cleanup process: a pressure-washing drone that cleans the exterior and high windows on Saturdays, flying around the building to reach areas difficult for workers to access.

Security Camera Concerns

School Board Member Ricky Browder’s questions about security camera coverage prompted discussion at Monday’s meeting.

Board members requested a total count of cameras across the campus, particularly after Sheriff Scooter Basnight recently toured the facility and expressed concerns about adequate coverage.

Brabble said cameras are “strategically placed” throughout the building to cover large areas, with at least 10-12 cameras positioned in main hallways, stairways, the gymnasium, and concession areas. However, he’s still awaiting final numbers.

“The main thing is to make sure you’re getting strategic areas so that if something happens, you can go back and look at the footage,” Brabble explained.

Superintendent Tammi Ward clarified that the district is prepared to purchase additional cameras once the initial installation is complete and administrators can assess coverage.

“We know what the drawings say, but those cameras have not been installed yet,” Ward said. “Once we get those installed and we’re able to see from the monitoring system how the coverage is, we are prepared to have to buy some additional cameras to ensure that we’ve got adequate coverage.”

The network infrastructure is expandable, with wiring and conduit already in place to add cameras as needed.

Ward added that a system is in place for teachers to report concerns as they move in, ensuring safety issues and other questions don’t get lost amid punch list items and final construction details.

What Happens Next Week

Elementary and middle schools return from the extended Martin Luther King Day break on Thursday, January 22, but John A. Holmes will remain closed through Friday, January 23, as teachers prepare classrooms.

The high school’s open house on Jan. 22 will familiarize students with the new layout, emergency procedures, and expectations for the building.

“During our open house, we’re going to talk about where different parts of the building are, exits for fire drills, tornado drills, safety procedures, and building expectations,” Rinehart explained previously.

Students will visit each of their classes and tour the new cafeteria, where they’ll be able to eat both inside and on the outdoor paver patio.

The school’s new address is 701 North Oakham Street, with the main entrance now facing Oakham rather than Woodard Street.

Teachers Eager to Unpack

With totes already delivered to classrooms, teachers are eager to begin unpacking materials they haven’t seen in two years and setting up their new spaces.

For 9th- through 11th-graders, the Jan. 26 opening will mark the first time they’ve experienced a unified high school campus. They’ve spent their entire high school careers traveling between separated buildings.

The adjustment from 15-minute ot six-minute transition periods between campuses to standard passing times will require adaptation, but school officials are confident students will quickly adjust to the new rhythm.

Community Support

The American Legion’s donation of flags represents just one example of community support for the new facility.

“Thank you for your contributions to the community and being such an important central hub to what we do here,” Board Chair George Lewis told Matthews after accepting the flags.

As the final week of preparation begins, anticipation is building throughout Chowan County.

“It is exciting to see the daily changes inside and outside the new John A. Holmes High School,” Superintendent Ward has said. “The new facilities and school as a whole are just another example of how committed Chowan County is to our youth.”

The countdown is on. In one week, students will walk through those doors and begin writing the next chapter in John A. Holmes history.