Editor’s note: This article incorrectly stated that the Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education would have no more meetings after its June 5 business meeting. The board will meet on June 30 at 12 p.m. before breaking for summer. The article has been updated to reflect this. 

By Rebecca Rider
rebecca.rider@salisburypost.com

SALISBURY — The Rowan-Salisbury Board of Education will hold its final business meeting before summer vacation Monday.

The board will hold one other meeting on June 30 at 12 p.m. and then break for the summer, returning to its regular meeting schedule August 14. There will be no meeting in the month of July.

According to the board’s online agenda, the school system has received a guaranteed maximum price for construction of the new western elementary school. Barnhill Construction has given a basic construction cost of $22.8 million.

However, the school system will have an additional $5 million cost which includes architectural and engineering design, land and testing, special inspections, furniture and equipment and legal and owners contingency — some of which have already been incurred.

This brings the total cost of the new building to $27.8 million. The Rowan County Board of Commissioners agreed to provide funding for up to $27.5 million, which leaves $334,492 for the school system to pay.

There is also up to $3.4 million in alternates, should the board choose them, according to the agenda.

The guaranteed maximum price includes the cost of demolition for a residence located on the property.

According to the agenda, Vice Chair Susan Cox will also make another argument for changing business meeting start times. The issue has come before the board multiple times in the past year, and was most recently discussed at the board’s April 24 meeting. The issue was let go after extensive discussion.

In 2016, the board successfully changed its meeting start times, switching its work sessions to begin at 1 p.m., and its business meetings to begin at 4 p.m. However, the business meeting start time was changed back after community complaint.

The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. in the Wallace Educational Board room, 500 N. Main St. Public comment will be held at 6 p.m.

In other business the board:

• Will discuss a timeline for adding specialized academies to each high school.
• Discuss a policy on class ranking, which would add Latin honors while preserving valedictorian and salutatorian positions.
• Hear proposal from the board’s capital needs committee.

Contact reporter Rebecca Rider at 704-797-4264.