Pender County Board of Education approves redesign of future K-8 school
BURGAW, NC (WWAY) – Pender County Schools has approved a redesign for the future K-8 school, which includes an additional 4,000 square feet of space.
The redesign results in capacity for 62 additional students at a preliminary cost of $1.3 million.
The school was approved by the Board of Education last year. It will be built on 145 acres of land near the Hwy. 210 corridor in Hampstead.
This expansion increases the total possible student population to 2,312, adding 14 classrooms and bringing the total square footage to 24,000.
The additional space will be achieved by constructing a second story on the middle school wing of the future school, which addresses the critical need for more middle school classroom space.
The addition of a second floor to the single-story middle school wing, instead of four separate additions, will create an additional 24,000 square feet of classroom space for 312 students, compared to the previously planned 20,000 square feet for 250 students.
A Pender County Schools release says, “This approach not only meets the urgent requirement for increased middle school capacity but also ensures the overall project remains within site capacity limits.”
The redesign also considers logistical aspects such as core capacity and onsite traffic management. Bordeaux Construction has reviewed the traffic stacking and queuing capacities and confirmed the feasibility of accommodating the additional students and vehicles.
An updated design will be brought before the Board of Education during the June 11, 2024 regular meeting.
