The new school will serve up to 2,312 students — more than previously planned, after the school board approved a redesign in May 2024. The school will now be 24,000 square feet, with 14 additional classrooms and a second-floor addition in the middle school wing.
The school was funded by a 2022 county bond referendum. In his remarks, Pender County Schools Superintendent Dr. Brad Breedlove thanks constituents for funding the school.
"To the voters who supported the bond referendum, your belief in the power of education, in your commitment to our children's future is truly inspiring," Breedlove said. "With our community favoring the referendum, we were able to move forward on this critical development."
Breedlove was joined by Pender County school board chair Don Hall and county commission chair Brad George. George said the new school would help the county keep up with its rapid population growth.
"I rode a bicycle back and forth, if you can believe you could do that, then back and forth down Highway 210 to Ives Food Store," said George. "From the time I was 13 til I graduated high school at 18, back and forth to work. So I've seen the growth. I've been here for the growth."
The new school is set to open in fall 2027.
