The New Hanover County (North Carolina) School Board has approved a $230 million hybrid master plan that combines renovation of existing New Hanover High School facilities with new construction.
WECT-TV reports that the plan to overhaul the Wilmington school is to be carried out in four phases over 12 years. The board action comes after the county has spent about $8 million on renovations to the school, which was built between 1920 and 1922.
Phase One, estimated to cost $60 million, would include securing a catwalk, and adding a cafeteria and student union, among other improvements.
Later phases would include renovating the existing cafeteria, securing walkways with connector buildings, and ensuring all safety measures meet code requirements.
To pay for Phase One, the school board intends to ask New Hanover County commissioners to put a bond referendum before voters in 2026.
Melissa Mason, the New Hanover County School Board chair, acknowledged that spending hundreds of millions of dollars on an aging building may seem daunting to some residents.
“The frustration in the community for years has been not taking care of that school,” Mason said. “This can be the time that we are repairing that school, that we are making it as beautiful as it can be.”
