Union County leaders have hit pause on a $173 million school bond that district officials say is desperately needed to ease crowding in classrooms. The delay stalls a Union County Public Schools plan to put a $173,259,570 construction referendum on the November ballot and slows a full rebuild of Parkwood High along with other long-promised expansions. Administrators and teachers warn the move could keep students in overcrowded spaces for years while officials reshuffle timelines.
How The Board Acted
On April 20, the Board of County Commissioners took up the district's request and voted to defer action, leaving the bond question for another day. According to Union County, the Board of Education had formally asked that the referendum be placed on the November 2026 ballot, but commissioners chose to hold off.
What The $173 Million Would Pay For
Union County Public Schools laid out a package centered on a complete replacement of Parkwood High School, carrying a price tag of $158,737,753. The plan also carved out $3,915,000 for design and pre-construction work at Piedmont Middle and $5,560,422 for a classroom, gym, and cafeteria addition at Wolfe School. Roughly $5 million was earmarked for contingency and project management, all framed as a response to growing enrollment across several school clusters.
Officials And Educators React
District leaders say they will keep pushing for students and staff even as the timeline shifts, according to WCNC. County officials signaled that postponing the bond request was meant to avoid an immediate tax hit. WSOC-TV reported that commissioners plan to revisit the issue in 2028 instead of putting it before voters this fall. Educators at schools slated for upgrades say the delay means temporary fixes and workarounds will have to stretch on longer than they had hoped.
Budget Pressure And Timing
County leaders point to tight revenue forecasts and a long list of capital needs as they weigh the school construction request. The adopted operating and capital budget materials describe officials trying to juggle growth-driven projects while limiting tax increases, a balancing act that county leaders say helped drive the decision to push the bond vote further out. That broader context is detailed in Union County budget documents.
What Comes Next
The Board of Education and county staff are expected to regroup to recalibrate both the plan and the schedule, and district officials say a scaled or re-timed proposal could surface in the future. As Union County Public Schools noted in its March resolution, the district remains committed to the Parkwood rebuild and related projects and to working with county leaders and the public on next steps, while parents and teachers continue to press for relief from overcrowded classrooms.
