BRUNSWICK COUNTY — The Brunswick County commissioners granted the school board’s request for a $349.6-million bond referendum, though not exactly on the timeline the school board was hoping for.
READ MORE: Brunswick commissioners rebuke BCS bond despite closed-door meetings with board
ALSO: Brunswick County moves forward with 750-student elementary school in Leland
Brunswick County Schools Superintendent Dale Cole appeared before the county commissioners on Monday to advocate for the bond a second time in recent months; this time, the total cost had been reduced from $409 million to $349.6 million. But Cole still requested the bond — which needs voter approval — be placed on the March primary ballot. However, commissioners voted to agree for it to go on the November 2026 ballot instead.
According to county staff, the bond would require three tax rate increases — 2.259 cents in 2027, 3.429 cents in 2029, and 0.047 cents in 2031. This brings the total impact to 5.74 cents.
Projects paid for by it are delineated into three phases, the first only including the $83.9-million elementary school planned for Jackey’s Creek and high school design work for $35.1 million.
The second phase includes a high school in the north region for $198.9 million.
All other projects would be phase three, including:
- Land purchases in the north region: $8.35 million
- Bleacher replacements: $1.03 million
- Multi-purpose turf field at Shallotte Middle: $1.3 million
- Softball fieldhouse at South Brunswick High: $1.8 million
- Governor’s Road extension at Town Creek Elementary: $4.78 million
- Intercom replacements and dat wiring: $3.96 million
- Site development for a future school: $10.46 million
The commissioners referred to the bond as necessary. However, most members wanted to put it on the November ballot, giving the district more time to educate the public.
“If we’re going to put it on there, I want it to pass,” Commissioner Frank Williams said Monday.
Williams runs a public relations firm and, thus, said he would charge a “rush fee” if he was hired to advertise a school bond in the three months Brunswick County Schools has until early primary voting.
Ultimately, all but one commissioner agreed with Williams.
“The problem is the school’s ready to move forward — they’ve looked at this and we’re trying to push them back even further,” Commissioner Pat Sykes said.
Earlier this month, the school board voted unanimously to send its bond request to the commissioners. The project total was whittled down by $59.4 million, with the elimination of the pre-K and an elementary school by the time it reached commissioners. Now, the bond has less money dedicated to land purchases for future schools, along with some other cost reductions.
Commissioners took issue with the March deadline at its September meeting too, also noting the board had yet to discuss the bond in a public meeting. The two boards’ chairs and vice chairs, along with staff from both the school district and county, had been discussing the bond behind closed doors — never meeting a quorum to avoid triggering open meetings law — but the September commissioners meeting was the first time the complete bond request was discussed publicly.
Cole asked the commissioners at their Oct. 7 meeting: Do you want to push for a March ballot or November?
He noted the March deadline did make him nervous, noting the 2016 school bond had six months of lead-up advertising before the vote. Barger also reported Chair Forte told him he didn’t think he had the commissioner votes to agree to a March ballot.
But the advantage of a March vote, Cole said, was the ability to get to work sooner on the new schools, alleviating pressure on the northern end of the county; he also claimed the bond might have a better chance of passing in March, despite primaries typically drawing in less turnout.
“We feel like the folks who research exactly what we’re asking for and why are absolutely going to vote for this bond,” Cole said.
Board member Vickie Smith agreed, noting she didn’t want to delay progress.
“I can’t imagine that anyone who lives in Brunswick County, that walks out of their house and goes down the road in their vehicle, cannot see that we are desperately going to need to build some schools,” Smith said.
Cole expressed the direness of the situation to the commissioners Monday. He noted demand for new schools in the northern region is critical, as the district is projecting having to house 320 in modular classrooms in the next two years. Belville Elementary currently has nine modulars, with four additional coming in the next four years. Lincoln Elementary is also projecting needing four more over the same timeframe, expanding on the four there now. Towne Creek Elementary also has two modulars.
While modular classrooms can quickly add capacity to a school, they are considered temporary fixes, due to less safety to students and sense of belonging for students isolated from a main campus.
Cole also presented population trajectories for the northern end of the county; it showed the region’s elementary building capacity would reach 100% — with the planned modulars — in 2029. With one new elementary school, this would be staved off until 2034.
The same projections were calculated for the high schools across the county, as they are expected to exceed capacity in 2029.
Cole clarified these projections were based on the housing already constructed or approved in Brunswick County, the fastest growing county in the state and one of the top in the country.
“If development completely stopped in Brunswick County tomorrow it would not impact our needs we’re asking for in this bond,” Cole said, noting the bond includes land purchases, as buying land now for future needs will ultimately save the county money.
As for the other projects, the extension to Governor’s Road is needed for emergency access to Town Creek and the bleacher replacements will alleviate the safety concerns at the high schools and middle schools. Shallotte Middle School will get a turf field, bringing it up to the same standard other middle schools enjoy with their fields; South Brunswick High School will also get a softball fieldhouse, as the team currently has to change and use the restroom in the school’s locker rooms.
“There’s nothing fru-fru about it,” board member Robin Moffitt said, describing the bond.
Now, the board and superintendent are tasked with advertising and gaining community feedback on the bond before next year’s election.
Reach journalist Brenna Flanagan at brenna@localdailymedia.com.
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