As work begins on the Rowan-Salisbury School System’s central office, attention has begun to turn toward renovating or rebuilding Knox Middle School – the second of three projects outlined in a $40.5 million agreement between county commissioners and the school board.

The Joint Planning Committee, a board comprised of school board members and county commissioners, met Tuesday to discuss updates on the central office, the school system’s long range needs and its next steps for Knox and a western Rowan combined elementary school.

The group spent a large portion of the meeting discussing plans for Knox Middle School. The original plan was to renovate the school to eliminate safety and security concerns, but after architectural plans were drawn up, school board members, with support from the Joint Planning Committee, decided it would be more cost effective to build an entirely new school.

School administrators and community leaders expressed interest in transforming Knox, along with Overton and Salisbury High School into a purpose built community, a model that seeks to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through education, housing and health and wellness opportunities.

“I think it would be a game changer for Rowan County, to be honest with you, but it comes at a cost,” Superintendent Dr. Lynn Moody told the Joint Planning Committee.

“It’s bigger than just a school,” she said, adding that it would require private funding to make that dream a reality.

“We’re still feeling very interested in that concept,” Moody said.

“Safety is a major concern,” Assistant Superintendent of Operations Anthony Vann added.

Those safety needs, Moody said, have created a time crunch that makes the ideal of creating a purpose built community unrealistic.

“We didn’t want to miss this opportunity to explore possibilities,” she said, but added, “We really need to do something with Knox immediately.”

The committee also discussed the district’s long-term capital needs.

The school system is currently working on a 10-year long-range needs study for facilities, demographics, asphalt and paving. The district also has a long-range needs study for its roofing needs.

Vann said they should have preliminary data by the end of April and it should be completed with all of the pieces sometime this summer. All the components will be combined into a 10-year facilities plan.

“It’s a good place to start,” Vann said.

The district has already identified $8 million of current security needs, from security cameras and controlled access doors to broken handrails and steps that need to be fixed.

“Our needs are overwhelming,” Vann said. “There’s not enough budget to address our needs.”

The committee also discussed the future combined elementary school in the western part of the county.

Moody and Vann said that they’re struggling to find a property large enough that is between Cleveland and Woodleaf elementary schools.

As Moody and Vann brought more and more needs to the table, County Commissioner Mike Caskey brought up the option of a bond referendum in the near future to cover the district’s safety needs.

The committee also decided to move their meetings from monthly to quarterly with the option to call a meeting if the need arose.