Despite some reports to the contrary, there is no additional work going on inside the old Midway High School, according to Anthony Vann, executive director of auxiliary services for Sampson County Schools.

Vann said Wednesday that the only construction currently ongoing on at the vacant school is a complete revamp of its parking lot, a project that began on Sept. 29.

“The reconfiguration of the parking lot is part of a DOT (Department of Transportation) requirement,” Vann said. “DOT requested that when we built the new (Midway) school that it would be part of the construction budget.”

The reason why DOT pushed for the lot to be reconfigured dates back to issues with the traffic pattern at the old high school that have existed for several years.

“They wanted to alleviate some of the traffic issues on U.S. Highway 421,” said Vann. “When we built the new school, they wanted us to rework/repave the old high school’s lot to change the configuration so that would ease some of volume of traffic in that area.”

At a cost of approximate $150,000, which was already budgeted into the new Midway High School’s construction budget, Vann and his crew are changing the traffic pattern at the old high school to allow buses and deliveries to enter through an entrance on U.S. 421.

“All other traffic, per DOT’s request, will enter through an entrance at Hollerin’ Road,” Vann explained. “Dropoffs and pickups will enter through there, as well as visitors to the school ... The idea was to not back up traffic on 421.”

The entrance at Hollern’ Road has already been widened, as part of a separate DOT package that was included when a traffic light was installed earlier this year.

As for the rumors of construction going on inside the school, Vann says other than routine maintenance, the school has been untouched.

“The only thing that we have done there is clean it,” he said. “There are groups that rent it out; there is a church that rents the school out, and we need to make sure that it is clean. We have changed some light bulbs in the hallway and in the gymnasium, but that is only because the people who are renting it need to have it clean and need to have the basic utilities working.”

The rate to rent out the school is $200 per four-hour block. However, Vann is quick to say that the leasing out of the building is not enough to “maintain” the upkeep of the facility.

While the Board of Education debates xactly what to do with the empty building, Vann said that his staff has a “preliminary plan” for the facility if funding somehow comes through.

“Right now, we are basically on hold until we hear something from the board,” he said. “We are not doing anything with it other than normal upkeep. It could sit there for some time until we hear something.”

To reach Doug Clark call 910-592-8137 ext. 123 or send e-mail to sisports@myclintonnc.com.