JACKSON — Conway Middle School will be getting a new roof over the gymnasium as well as new lockers while Northampton County High School-East will be receiving new lockers.

Last week, the Northampton County Board of Education approved three low bids for lockers and the new roof.

Assistant Superintendent Phil Matthews originally presented bids for three different roofs—two for Conway Middle (the gym and the main building) and one for Northampton County High School-West for the Middle School there.

Matthews presented the recommendation from the administration to accept a bid from Team Roofing to install a $331,000 standing seam metal roof over the main building at Conway Middle. On the same decision paper, the administration also recommended the approval of a $105,000 bid from Southern Metal to install a new metal roof over Conway Middle’s gymnasium.

In a separate decision, the board was recommended to award a $905,100 bid to Greenville Contractors for the installation of a standing seam metal roof over NCHS-West Middle School.

The board voted for all of the low bids in a 6-1 vote with Board member Donald Johnson opposing.

Johnson explained his difference of opinion from his colleagues.

“This is my concern, being a taxpayer and as I said during my campaign that I would be a good steward of our money,” he said. “We need a roof and I think with the type of roof that we get, if we got a real high quality roof other than metal…if we got a architectural roof then I think we would be saving money. I will go with the will of the board, it’s the democratic thing.”

Later after a closed session, the board rescinded their decision regarding the roof over Conway Middle School’s main building as well as the one over NCHS-West Middle School.

In other school facility news, the board accepted a bid from Alphin & Sons of Calypso to install 54 two tier refurbished lockers at Conway Middle for the price of $6,750 as well as perform needed repairs to existing lockers for $1,600.

Additionally, the board accepted a bid from the same company to replace 20 two tier lockers for $2,500 at NCHS-East.