Pender County’s largest school set to aid overcrowded campuses

HAMPSTEAD, NC (WWAY) — As Pender County’s population continues to grow, the school district is preparing to open its largest campus yet in an effort to address overcrowding.

The new J.H. Lea K-8 School, located off Highway 210 in Hampstead, is expected to open in August 2027 for the 2027-2028 school year.

WWAY got an inside look at the massive 285,000-square-foot campus, which will become the largest public school campus in the Cape Fear region.

The school is designed to serve approximately 2,300 students, including 800 elementary school students and 1,500 middle school students.

“Building J.H. Lea will significantly reduce the amount of students in the Highway 17 schools,” Pender County Schools Superintendent Brad Breedlove said.

Breedlove said overcrowding has become a major challenge for the district, which currently serves more than 10,700 students.

“It’s logistically very tough on our schools and our families,” Breedlove said.

With continued population growth across Pender County, district leaders expect enrollment to increase significantly over the next decade.

“We expect to see our student population grow, 3, 4, 5,000 students,” Breedlove said.

The new campus features two elementary school wings and two middle school wings, each with its own gymnasium and multipurpose rooms. The school also includes a media center, a large cafeteria, administrative offices and designated reading areas for students.

The school’s estimated budget is approximately $111 million, part of a $178 million school bond referendum approved by Pender County voters.

Meanwhile, the district is also working to address overcrowding through a major renovation project at Topsail Middle School.

That project was originally estimated to cost less than $23 million, but the latest projection puts the price tag at more than $50 million.

“Going into this back in 2020-2021 and making plans to do this remodel there have been a lot of changes in construction costs,” Pender County Board of Education Chair Don Hall said.

Hall said the board continues to work with the project’s architect to identify ways to reduce costs and keep the renovations within an affordable budget.

“There will be more presentations to get it to a number that can be afforded,” Hall said.

As construction on J.H. Lea K-8 School moves closer to completion, Breedlove said the new campus represents a major step forward for the district as it prepares for continued growth.

“Hang in there, it’s coming, the future is very bright for Pender County Schools,” Breedlove said.

The new school is scheduled to welcome students in August 2027.