Commission urges caution on Lockerman Middle School enrollment projections; files R‑1 comment

The commission voted to forward an R‑1 qualifying comment on the proposed Lockerman Middle School, signaling general consistency with county plans while attaching a cautionary note that enrollment projections should be realistic to avoid near‑term overcrowding.

Staff presented the project as a proposed new middle school on the North Carolina High School campus and noted likely wastewater upgrades, including a pump station. Commissioners repeatedly pointed to recent experience with Greensboro Elementary — which hit capacity faster than projections — and pressed the school board and state reviewers to account for undercounted populations when sizing the school.

A commissioner summed up the commission’s concern: staff should “encourage the state or or the school board to be extremely critical and thoughtful about projecting your student need because we are within… what was it built 2 years ago? … we’re at capacity in the short term,” and recommended adding that language to the clearinghouse comment. The motion to submit the R‑1 comment was moved by Keith Bilborough and seconded; the commission approved the R‑1 comment by voice vote.

Staff said it will draft the qualifying language for member review and submit the chosen comment to the state clearinghouse before the application deadline.