Guilford County Schools to Reallocate Bond Funds

Guilford County, N.C. - Bond-funded projects at Northwood Elementary will happen sooner than originally planned.  

During the November 18 Board of Education meeting, the district announced it would reallocate bond funds from the Katherine G. Johnson K-8 project to Northwood Elementary.  

The district had previously budgeted $94 million in bond dollars for the Katherine G. Johnson project. However, after an April 2025 meeting with the Joint Capital Facilities Committee, GCS was asked to incorporate updated enrollment projections into the Facilities Master Plan prior to moving forward with new school construction. GCS determined that it would be best to delay construction of the Katherine G. Johnson school until development in the surrounding area begins, providing a more accurate picture of enrollment trends in the region.  

The revised plan reflects the district’s ongoing commitment to being a good steward of taxpayer dollars while ensuring that occupied schools with the greatest needs receive attention. 

Additionally, the Board of Education approved the use of $6.6M in bond funds for the purchase of five parcels of land along Highway 68 in Stokesdale for the Northwest Guilford Middle School project. Construction on the land will follow the schedule outlined in the facilities master plan. 

To date, GCS has completed nearly 230 bond-funded projects. These include 175 safe school upgrade projects, six paging and 16 audio/visual technology projects, 14 HVAC, three roof and seven playground replacements. The district currently has 29 Safe Schools projects underway, as well as two roof replacements, two interior renovations and two tennis court and track resurfacing projects.  

In December, the Board of Education will vote on a revised project ordinance that includes the reallocated budget from the Katherine G. Johnson project to Northwood Elementary. From there, the ordinance revision request will head to the Guilford County Board of Commissioners for consideration.  

Once a contractor is selected, the district will establish a clear construction timeline. The public can always view up-to-date information on the status of GCS bond projects by visiting www.gcsnc.com/bonds.