The Moore County Board of Education took its first formal step toward a potential new high school Monday night. The board formally selected an architectural firm while hearing early calls from the public and board members for transparency and community involvement.
Firm Selected for Potential High School
During its Jan. 12 regular meeting, the board voted to award architectural design services to SfL+a Architecture for a proposed fourth high school, pending final legal review and the passage of a countywide school bond referendum, expected to go before voters in November 2026.
Superintendent Tim Locklair said the firm’s work would provide cost estimates, timelines, and design concepts needed by county commissioners as they consider including the project in the upcoming bond package. Assistant Superintendent Jenny Purvis told the board that the $8.8 million design contract represents a fixed cost of about 5.6% of the overall project and would not be paid unless the bond referendum is approved.
The vote followed a public comment period in which concerns were raised about how quickly the project is moving and whether the community has been adequately informed.
Speaker Erica Davis said families and residents were surprised to learn that building a new high school appeared to be the board’s preferred solution to overcrowding at Pinecrest and Union Pines high schools, noting that there have been no dedicated public meetings or surveys on the issue.
Davis urged the board to slow the process, present side-by-side cost comparisons between building a new school and renovating existing campuses, and engage both families and county commissioners before asking voters to approve new debt. She also questioned the long-term staffing and operational costs of opening a fourth high school, noting that the district already has 66 open positions.
“I strongly, strongly support public education, and I want to support a thoughtful, equitable, and sustainable solution,” said Davis. “I respectfully urge the Board to slow this process, engage directly with families and the county commissioners, clearly present all of our options and long-term costs, and work collaboratively with the community before asking taxpayers to vote.”
Several board members acknowledged those concerns during the discussion of the contract. Board member Steve Johnson said the pace of the process makes early and active community engagement essential.
“Because of the speed of this process, we really need to immediately do our due diligence quickly on engaging our community unit … and immediately gathering feedback on this process, on the different positive impacts that can happen as a result of not just a new high school, but I would also like to state that my, in my opinion, we shouldn’t build a new high school without putting due diligence to the renovation and modernization at Union Pines and Pinecrest High School,” said Johnson. “Those things should be hand in hand and talked about.”
Johnson said transparency and public input will be critical as the board moves forward, even as it works to meet timelines requested by county commissioners.
The board ultimately approved the contract with SfL+a Architecture, with multiple members citing additional ethics provisions designed to prevent conflicts of interest and prohibit political donations related to the bond referendum during the term of the agreement.
The decision does not commit the district to building a new high school, but it allows staff to gather the detailed information needed to evaluate the proposal and present it to the public ahead of a potential bond vote.
Police Chief Promotion
The Moore County Board of Education also approved the promotion of the school system’s interim police chief, Ricky Gooch, to the permanent role of Moore County Schools Police Chief Monday night. This decision drew criticism from multiple board members and a public speaker for the lack of a formal interview process.
The promotion was included as part of the board’s consent agenda and approved on a 5-2 vote, with board members Pauline Bruno and David Hensley voting against the agenda specifically because the position was filled without interviewing other candidates.
Hensley said the decision raises issues about transparency and leadership, noting that no external or internal interviews were conducted before making the appointment permanent. He also questioned whether the decision should have been left to the incoming superintendent, given Superintendent Locklair’s impending retirement.
Board member Pauline Bruno echoed those concerns, saying she believed the selection of a permanent police chief should be made by the next superintendent. While she expressed personal support for the interim chief, Bruno said the timing of the promotion troubled her. Another board member, Kenneth Benway, also raised procedural concerns, saying he would have preferred to see interviews conducted before the promotion was finalized, though he ultimately did not believe the issue rose to the level of rejecting the entire consent agenda.
The issue extended beyond the board table during public comment. Speaker Jim Pedersen criticized the lack of interviews, questioning why standard hiring practices were not followed for a leadership position within the school system’s police department. Pedersen said consistency and public perception matter, even if the action is technically permissible.
However, with the 5-2 approval of the entire agenda, Gooch is set to be sworn in with a ceremony on Friday, Jan. 16.
Gooch has provided guidance, advice, and encouragement as a speaker at recent Moore County Schools Safety Committee Meetings. He often speaks favorably of the importance of schools having dedicated school resource officers (SROs) who can establish themselves within the community and form a bond with the student population. He has voiced that consistency is key with students and SROs, and that a good bond can reduce instances of poor behavior in schools.
*File photo of the Moore County Board of Education.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Article by Sandhills Sentinel Assistant Editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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