The Daily Dig
Construction is underway at the new Clayton High School in Johnston County, North Carolina. Crews poured the first foundations and officials held a groundbreaking ceremony on February 19, replacing an aging campus with a facility built around modern learning environments, student safety, and dedicated academic programming.
The new campus covers 278,000 square feet and will serve roughly 2,000 students in grades 9 through 12. The layout includes a three-story academic wing and a two-story building for athletics and fine arts.
The school will have 99 teaching spaces in total, including 19 Career and Technical Education labs, 13 science labs, a main gym, an auxiliary gym, athletic fields, and a 762-seat auditorium. Construction manager Barnhill Contracting Company is targeting building completion in December 2027, with the full campus ready by Fall 2028.
Project Snapshot:
Owner: Johnston County Board of Education
Sector: K-12 Education
Location: Clayton, Johnston County, North Carolina
Project Type: High school rebuild
Building Size: 278,000 square feet
Student Capacity: 2,000 students (Grades 9–12)
Building Configuration: Three-story academic wing and two-story arts and athletics wing
Teaching Spaces: 99 total
CTE Facilities: 19 Career and Technical Education labs
Science Facilities: 13 science labs
Athletics: Main gym, auxiliary gym, athletic fields and facilities
Fine Arts: 762-seat auditorium
Design Features: Open-concept, flexible learning spaces with collaborative instruction areas
Learning Environment: Innovative technology and dedicated learning labs throughout
Architect: LS3P
Construction Manager: Barnhill Contracting Company
Status: Construction underway; foundations poured
Building Completion Target: December 2027
Campus Completion Target: Fall 2028
TheJobWalk Thoughts
This project will not come to market as one bid event. Once the structure is in the ground, expect follow-on packages for lab casework, auditorium AV and rigging, gym flooring and bleachers, and interior finishes. Those releases are typically scheduled backward from the occupancy date, which puts real procurement pressure on specialty subs and suppliers by late 2026 or early 2027, well before the building is closed in. If you work in school construction, lab fit-outs, or FF&E supply, watch Johnston County's procurement board now. Waiting for Barnhill to call is usually too late.
