North Carolina public school districts project nearly $18 billion in facility needs during the next five years, a 37% increase from the state’s 2020-21 survey.
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction released its 2025-26 statewide facility needs survey covering all 115 school districts. The report estimates nearly $33 billion in needs across a 10-year period, including $14.78 billion projected for years six through 10.
Construction and renovation costs
Districts estimated roughly $6.2 billion will be needed for new school construction. The baseline cost for new construction reached $350 per square foot, compared with $250 per square foot in the prior survey.
Renovation needs total nearly $9.8 billion, a 77% increase from the previous survey. More than 1,400 schools in 93 school systems reported renovation plans.
Nathan Maune, director of the Department of Public Instruction’s Office of School Facilities, said the survey points toward a greater emphasis on updating existing buildings. “More renovations-focused is what we’re seeing in the survey,” Maune said.
Age of school facilities
North Carolina school districts operate more than 6,200 buildings across 2,451 schools. About 67% of those facilities are more than 30 years old, while 29% are more than 60 years old.
Deferred maintenance and repairs, building-code and life-safety work, and HVAC improvements account for about 80% of the planned projects identified by districts.
Capital funding
The state provided about $2.83 billion through three lottery-funded capital programs from fiscal year 2021-22 through 2025-26. Voters in eight counties also authorized $5.88 billion in local school bonds.
Alan Duncan, the vice chairman, raised the central funding question: “Where is the money going to come from?”
A constitutional amendment approved by North Carolina voters this week could limit local-government property-tax revenue used for school bonds. Its financial effect will depend on how state lawmakers implement the amendment.