By Miles Layton

EDENTON — Construction on the new John A. Holmes High School is in its final stretch, with crews working through punch lists and landscaping as the Edenton-Chowan Board of Education looks ahead to a major renovation of the school’s fieldhouse, officials said at Tuesday’s board meeting.

No, the photo accompanying the story is not of Chris Brabble, who you’ll read about more in a minute, but of AJ Layton — who offered a prayer during public comment that kicked off a series of speakers who voiced their support for LifeWise Academy — see our story here. Before reading about the latest construction update, let’s start with the prayer; always good to start with prayer.

“God, thank You for tonight. Thank You for this board. Thank You for our school system. God, I am fully grateful, trusting that everyone You’ve put in these leadership roles — here locally, within our state, within our nation — is under Your holy and sovereign will. So we’re grateful for that. And God, I pray that You guide their hands, guide their decisions. Give them wisdom and discernment. And God, I pray that through every step, they give You glory in their actions. And I’m praying tonight that our comments bring You glory, bring You honor, and bring You praise.”

Another thing — congrats to Coach Hoggard — 100 wins! We are working on that story too.

Let’s begin our story — Construction Manager Chris Brabble told the board the project has entered its “short rows,” with finishing touches being applied throughout the building and on the exterior.

“Punch lists are ongoing throughout the school, and outside on the exterior with some landscaping things being finished up,” Brabble said, adding that crews are also confirming “all the systems are working correctly.”

One of the most anticipated additions — protective netting for the baseball field — arrived on campus Tuesday, Brabble said, and installation is expected to begin within the week. The netting is designed to shield vehicles in the school’s new parking lot from foul balls.

“It arrived on site today,” Brabble said. “And then we should see that going up in the next week.”

Brabble said equipment and materials currently occupying the baseball parking lot should be cleared out within the next couple of weeks, allowing the lot to reopen to the public.

He also gave an update on the school’s greenhouse, which is complete but not yet fully operational.

“The greenhouse is finished. I think we’ve got water to the building, we’re waiting on electricity to get through the building,” Brabble said.

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Track Resurfacing Delayed by Manufacturer Explosion

Yes, you read that headline right — EXPLOSION!

Superintendent Tammi Ward told the board that resurfacing work on the school’s track — one of the district’s capital outlay projects — has been delayed after an explosion at the plant of the material’s manufacturer.

“Our plan is to resurface the track, which we were on schedule to have that done before the school began,” Ward said. “However, the manufacturer of the materials for the resurfacing had an explosion at their plant, and therefore the materials that we needed for the resurfacing have been delayed.”

Ward said crews are now expected to begin work this weekend, with the project taking roughly two more weeks to complete, weather and further complications permitting. The track will remain closed until the resurfacing is finished.

Explaining the Dirt Out Front

Brabble also addressed a question he said he’s fielded repeatedly from the community: why the front lawn of the new school remains bare dirt.

He explained that the school’s address and main entrance face North Oak Street rather than Broad Street, the road most residents use to pass by the campus — meaning the side visible from Broad Street is technically the back of the building.

Sodding the visible frontage would have cost an additional $30,000, Brabble said, so the district opted instead to seed and water the area.

“It’ll be green, but it’d probably be next year before we see green up there,” he said.

Ward added that the building’s layout — with the guidance counselors’ offices and nurse’s office located near the Broad Street-facing entrance — was designed intentionally to ease traffic congestion and give parents a more direct route for pickups.

“That circular parking up there does make it very convenient for parents who might have to pick up a sick child,” Ward said, noting the entrance retains the same security vestibule system used at the main student entrance.

Ward also thanked the community for its turnout at the school’s recent open house.

“I know we’re not supposed to be prideful, but I have to say I left that weekend very, very proud,” she said.

Fieldhouse Renovation Planning Begins

With the high school construction winding down, the board turned its attention to a planned renovation of the fieldhouse, which Ward said will be funded through the state lottery’s Repair and Renovation (R&R) fund — a source she emphasized comes at no cost to local taxpayers.

Ward said the renovation is being driven largely by Title IX compliance concerns. The fieldhouse currently has only male locker rooms, a holdover from the layout of the district’s old campus, where locker rooms sat next to the gymnasium. At the new campus, the gym is located across the school from the fieldhouse.

“By the time our females change, walk back and forth from class, weather, various things like that — it really does not meet Title Nine requirement of providing equal access and equal facilities for our female and our male students,” Ward said.

Beyond the locker room upgrades, Ward said the district hopes to reconfigure interior space for classrooms tied to the school’s sports management and sports training internship programs, and is also exploring facility and equipment needs for adaptive physical education for exceptional children students. Bathroom facilities used by weightlifting classes will also be renovated, she said.

Ward said the scope of the project has already been discussed with the “Five on Five” committee, a joint public committee made up of county commissioners and board of education members. Because R&R funds are administered through the county, commissioners must formally sign off on how the money is used, Ward said. The committee’s next meeting will be held at the fieldhouse itself so members can better understand the space, though a date has not yet been set.

Ward said the district is also forming a separate committee with the athletic director and school principal to guide the project, with an emphasis on community involvement and transparency. Once initial steps are finalized, the district plans to prepare and publish a request for proposals to begin soliciting bids.

Board Chairman Pro Tempore Ricky Browder thanked Brabble for his work on the high school project, noting the board likely wouldn’t need frequent updates from him going forward now that construction is nearly complete.