totaling $62 million, with additional local support, and construction is expected to begin in 2026 with completion scheduled for August 2028. Goode describes the planning process as highly collaborative, with district leadership and architects actively collecting stakeholder input to shape a facility that supports modern instructional models and expanded career readiness opportunities. He highlights the level of attention given to teacher feedback, particularly among CTE educators, as a meaningful signal of how the district is designing the building around teaching and learning realities rather than simply replicating older facility patterns. On the business alignment side, the district maintains an active Business Advisory Council, required under Perkins V and designed to ensure career education remains aligned with labor market needs. In a county with both Sampson County Schools and Clinton City Schools, Goode notes this is one area where the two districts work collaboratively, sharing a joint advisory council of dozens of local businesses. Through regular meetings and structured feedback, the council helps the district stay connected to employer expectations and skills demand. The district further strengthens alignment through its comprehensive local needs assessment process, which collects input from teachers, administrators, students, parents, business partners, and specific demographic groups through focus groups and electronic surveys. Goode also points to strong collaboration with the local Chamber of Commerce, including student participation in junior leadership programming that exposes learners to local business opportunities through direct site visits and engagement. Looking ahead, Sampson County Schools is also engaged in strategic planning, developing a roadmap designed to guide priorities for the near future. Goode expects that plan to emphasize inclusivity across postsecondary pathways, ensuring the district supports students headed to four-year universities as well as those pursuing two-year programs, trades, skilled employment, or military service. He notes that the district is also investing in community engagement models in parts of the county, placing 321 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 SAMPSON COUNTY SCHOOLS
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