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AUG. 4 - 17, 2022
The latest I’ve heard about plans for the new charter high school in Summerfield is that a shortage of building materials has delayed the project. Can you confirm what’s going on? We reached out to Leah Nixon, spokeswoman for National Heritage Academies, who confirmed that timing for construction of the proposed charter high school on U.S. 220 at Winfree Road is uncertain. “While there are increasing costs due to inflation, a bigger challenge remains construction delays and supply chain issues,” Nixon wrote in a recent email. “Considering these factors, we do not have plans to open a high school immediately and will continue evaluating when the time is right.”
Photo by Chris Burritt/NWO
Two oak trees guard the kudzu-covered corner at U.S. 220 North and Winfree Road where National Heritage Academies has delayed plans for building a charter high school due to supply chain disruptions and rising costs.
on U.S. 220/Battleground Avenue in Greensboro. Parents of students in the two K-8 schools are seeking to continue their children’s education at a four-year charter high school, Dunston told the Planning Board in February. National Heritage Academies isn’t alone in grappling with higher costs and supply chain delays. In May,
Summerfield Town Council halted plans for building a new town hall due to escalating costs. Probable costs for developing Bandera Farms Park climbed 30% while the estimated price tag for Veterans Honor Green in Oak Ridge jumped by 29%, according to officials working on those two projects.
Nixon added that school leaders will share details with families and community leaders “once we have more concrete timelines.” Five months ago, Bob Dunston, who handles real estate transactions for National Heritage Academies, told Summerfield’s Planning Board that construction of the school could start later this year, with classes possibly starting in August 2024. The timing hinged upon Summerfield Town Council’s approval of the company’s rezoning request for the 37.2-acre school site, which occurred in May.
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