John A. Holmes High School

Project Summary

The new John A. Holmes High School officially opened for its first full day of classes on January 26, 2026, replacing the original 1950s-era campus with a modern, unified educational facility in North Carolina. Delivered through a collaborative design-build approach, the project brought students and staff from multiple temporary locations back together into one state-of-the-art high school designed to support academic excellence, career and technical education, fine arts, and athletics.

Designed by LS3P, the new campus blends timeless architectural character with modern educational design. The facility features entry columns, classical ornamentation, and detailed brickwork inspired by the town’s historic charm, while contemporary classroom wings reference the region’s industrial mill architecture. The project received significant support through North Carolina’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, which contributed $50 million toward construction.

The new high school includes advanced Career & Technical Education (CTE) and arts spaces, highlighted by a five-kitchen culinary food lab, modern career-tech classrooms, and a new auditorium with an elevated access ramp. Athletic improvements include a new gymnasium, lighted tennis courts, and a centralized athletics and arts administration building designed to enhance student programs and campus operations.

Since the existing gymnasium, cafeteria, and adjacent classroom spaces remained in use while the new facility was built M. B. Kahn maintained a safe and secure environment for students and faculty throughout construction. The design-build delivery method streamlined procurement, improved collaboration between the owner, architect, and construction team, and allowed for extensive community engagement during the planning process. The result is a transformative North Carolina school construction project that provides students with a modern learning environment built for future growth and long-term community impact.