By Miles Layton

Tyrrell County is on my mind.

Lot of things are going on — talked to a lot of people in recent days. 

For now, here’s this story about the feud between the County Commission and the Board of Education.  

Their disagreement is over where to construct the new $62 million school. 

The feud has gotten so bad that rather than hashing out their differences over a good meal at Stick Burning BBQ, the parties have agreed to mediation overseen by a judge – parties are scheduled to meet on July 27 — with the beginning of the meeting open to the public before the boards go into closed session.  

That disagreement over funding for land acquisition has stalled construction of Tyrrell County’s long-planned consolidated PK-13 school. 

The dispute centers on where the new school will be built and who will pay for the land beneath it — a fight that has consumed months since the district received a $62 million state capital needs grant last November to consolidate its aging schools into a single modern campus serving students countywide.

Long-story-short, the BOE wants the county to purchase land contiguous to the school – a big, beautiful, flat multi-acre cornfield – that’s owned by GSM Properties. The photo accompanying the story shows this land directly across the street from school property.

County doesn’t want the school on that property, or else there would already be bulldozers moving dirt.

Construction on the new campus is expected to be completed in 2029, assuming the funding dispute is resolved and building begins in the coming months. Hell, the BOE has already hired an architect and construction firm. 

That said, the county and school board are seeking the same thing — a meeting of the minds to transform this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to build a new school into a reality. 

“The District looks forward to working with these county commissioners together as one team for Tyrrell County,” said a statement from District stakeholders, including the BOE and administration. “We can’t wait to get this deal done, because we have faith that it’s going to get done for our kids and our community.”

Superintendent Brianna Williams offered this comment:  

“As Superintendent, my primary statutory obligation is to maintain a system of free, safe, and high-quality public schools,” she said. “Under state guidelines, the county also shares the legal obligation to provide the funding necessary to operate and equip these facilities properly.  We do not view education as a competing line item, but as the economic and social foundation of this entire county. We are looking for a compromise, not a conflict.”

Williams continued, “However, we cannot in good conscience accept a budget that compromises the future of our school system and the dream of what is possible, which means using the $62 million dollar needs based grant to build a PreK- Grade 13 school on the property that is next to the current site.”

Williams wants meaningful mediation. 

“I look forward to a meaningful, positive mediation between the Board of Education and the Board of Commissioners.  This is a perfect opportunity to get together a community of stakeholders and county leaders together to imagine and agree on a plan that bridges the past to the future and benefits the students and families of Tyrrell County Schools’ 

Commission Chairman Jordan Davis said, “We hope to have discussions that result in benefit to all the citizens of Tyrrell County.”  

Per this country editor — I trust Davis — Commissioners have been supportive of the school project – this thing between the Commission and BOE will work itself out — too important not to.

A Deadline Already Slipping

The grant came with a 24-month window to begin construction. Eight months in, no ground has been broken.

According to the Board of Education, the delay traces back to a funding gap that emerged after the district submitted its budget for the project. The board says it needed additional money — roughly $500,000 — to purchase land for the new campus, and submitted a budget amendment to the county commission requesting it.

The commission rejected the amendment, the district says. In its place, commissioners offered two alternatives: approve funding to build a three-story school on the site of an existing county-owned facility, or provide the requested funds only if the land purchased was located somewhere else in Tyrrell County.

Neither option reflects what the BOE considers the right site for the new campus — land near the district’s current facilities that they argue is elevated enough to avoid the floodplain concerns raised by the county. The board contends it has already invested significant time and money in that location, including hiring an architecture firm and touring comparable school projects built by its chosen construction firm. See our previous story here.  

With the state’s 24-month construction deadline approaching and neither side signaling it will change its position, the two boards have agreed to enter mediation, expected to take place later in July. The session will not be open to the public.

The Board of Education says all five of its members plan to attend, along with the superintendent and the district’s chief financial officer. A new board member – Jana Rawls – is set to be sworn in on July 14, ahead of the meeting. 

The Board of Commissioners is expected to send its chair Jordan Davis, along with County Manager/Attorney David Clegg along with any other board members.  

The likelier outcome, they say, would be litigation — I’m certain that’s a step both sides hope to avoid given the cost to taxpayers.

As for this country editor, I’m hoping for common ground – Tyrrell County is known for folks — friends, families, neighbors – working together toward a better future. With this school on the line, I know commissioners and school board members will do what’s best for everyone. 

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