At the Dare County Board of Education budget workshop, Chairman David Twiddy turned to the capital improvement plan and asked about the Manteo High School field house.

Superintendent Steve Basnight began to talk about the field house, for which $400,000 was allocated in fiscal year 2019.

He initially met with Manteo High’s athletic director Alfie Wheeler, who described what was intended: public restrooms, locker rooms, concession stand and storage area.

Facilities director Ian Adams went searching and found plans, which called for two phases with phase 1 for public restrooms and home locker room and phase 2 for concession stand and storage. The initial location was by the gymnasium. However, the current plan is to place the facility in a more accessible location nearer the soccer field.

Then, the $400,000 was dropped from the capital improvement plans for fiscal years 2020 and 2021. It showed back up in 2023.

In the proposed plan for fiscal year 2025, the $400,000 for the field house is now allocated to partially pay for replacing all chillers at Manteo High at a total cost of $1.12 million, according to a budget footnote. The $400,000 for the field house is proposed for fiscal year 2026.

During his presentation, Basnight said the total cost of the full field house is at least $1 million.

Meanwhile, in the summer of 2022, the home locker room under the stadium was updated. The ceiling was pulled down. Waterproofing fixed the leaks. A dropped ceiling was installed. Grass seed – which attracted rats – was removed. Mold was eliminated. Epoxy finish was applied to the floor. New HVAC was installed. The area was painted. Showers were not redone because no one uses them, it was reported. A new washer and drier were installed. The updates were completed in early September 2022.

All board members were present at the budget workshop. After the explanation, the board wanted to move the $400,000 back to the 2025 budget, which will be accomplished at the May 13 board meeting. The funds will be used to obtain permits, survey and work with the Town of Manteo.

The press box needs attention, too, which Adams indicated can be done by maintenance staff.

The annual capital improvement budget hovers around $2 million. In a full disclosure effort, Basnight has shown for fiscal year 2027 a budget of $29.61 million. “These are things we see coming in future years.” He said the school system is not expecting that amount of money.

Capital Projects for Fiscal Year 2025

First Flight High School: Roof replacement $305,000; section siding replacement, paint $250,000; chiller renewal $245,000; HVAC riser repairs $150,000

First Flight Elementary: Air handler replacement $195,000

Manteo High School: Gym floor major renovations $90,000; chiller replacements $1,115,000.

Manteo Elementary: Gym floor replacement $90,000

District: Fuel oil tanks $75,000; playground equipment $90,000

Total requested: $2,605,000. The following facilities have no capital projects indicated for next fiscal year: Kitty Hawk Elementary, First Flight Middle, Nags Head Elementary, Manteo Middle, Cape Hatteras Secondary, Cape Hatteras Elementary and Central Office.

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