PENDER COUNTY — Growth in Pender County continues to move forward as two new K-8 schools move closer to completion. In 2014, Pender County undertook a $75 million bond project to help grow its schools in the county. On Monday, members from Pender County Schools gave a fourth-quarter update on two projects currently ongoing in the county.
The school bond project had three purposes, to address growth, to renovate facilities, and to increase academic opportunities. The bond will address every region in Pender County, with three renovations and additions in the northern region, three renovations and additions in the southern region, and the construction of two new schools in the eastern region.
According to a presentation by Pender County Schools, by 2014 seven schools in the county were at or above capacity due to population growth.
In the southern and eastern regions of the county, the school system expects to gain an at least 275 students annually, but numbers could be even larger.
Penderlea K-8 School
The first of the two currently ongoing projects, the Penderlea school project, is on track for completion with about 45 percent of the project completed so far, Matt Temple with Metcon Construction said.
The Penderlea K-8 project is currently expected to cost Pender County more than $22 million and consists of the construction of a new 48,000 square-foot building as well as the renovation of the existing school. The capacity of the school is designed to hold about 650 students, according to a Pender County Schools presentation and the project is addressing structural problems as well as safety concerns of the current building.
Temple said that in order to meet scheduling deadlines Metcon is increasing work days to include Saturdays and possibly Sundays.
Surf City K-8 School
The costliest of all of the projects funded by the school bond with a price tag of $38.6 million the Surf City K-8 school project is on track for a July 1, 2018 completion date.
The new schools will help, “alleviate overcrowding at the only middle school in that region,” according to a school presentation. The project will be divided into two different schools, an elementary school and a middle school connected in the middle with a gym and a cafeteria.
The planned capacity for the schools is 600 elementary students and 600 middle school students and span 150,000 square-feet.
According LS3P all of the brick, steel and windows have been completed for the new schools and the construction progress is at 56 percent complete.
Other projects
While the two projects above were the most costly of the bond project, there are several other schools set to receive upgrades thanks to the $75 million.
Cape Fear Middle and Elementary Schools, West Pender Middle School, Pender High School, and Burgaw Middle School were all included in the bond project.
A full list of projects is available online.
Michael Praats can be reached at Michael.p@localvoicemedia.com
