2026 New Hanover County

Bond Referendum for Education

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can the bond projects change?

The bond referendum was developed with specific projects identified for funding. Any significant change to those projects would require public input and consideration from the New Hanover County Board of Education and New Hanover County Board of Commissioners.

Changes are not expected under normal circumstances and would only be considered if an emergency or other extraordinary situation made a change necessary. The goal is to remain accountable to the projects presented to voters while ensuring there is a transparent process if an unforeseen circumstance requires a change.

How much money would the bond provide?

How much money would the bond cost taxpayers?

How much will the 2026 bond referendum cost taxpayers?

If approved by voters, the estimated tax impact of the 2026 bond referendum would be approximately $5 per year for every $100,000 of assessed property value.

$100,000 home: Approximately $5 per year
$400,000 home: Approximately $20 per year

The reduced tax impact would be made possible through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between New Hanover County and The Endowment, with funding applied toward the county’s bond debt.

What projects are included in the bond referendum?

What districtwide building improvements are included?

What technology improvements are included?

What safety and security improvements are included?

The plan includes $10 million for districtwide safety and security improvements. The proposal includes security vestibule projects at 20 schools, at a rate of two schools per year over a 10-year period. Projects would include secure vestibules to control and monitor entry points, security bollards to enhance perimeter safety, and drop-down shades for offices and classrooms.

Why is funding included for project management and contingencies?

A legend for a bond project map displays four colored map pins in the foreground, each corresponding to a category of projects listed in the background.

New Hanover County Bond Referendum Information

For additional information about the school bond referendum from New Hanover County, please visit the County’s webpage below.

New Hanover County Webpage

two students stack blocks one on top of the other

New Hanover Board of Commissioners & New Hanover County Board of Education Meeting

November 17, 2025

The Projects

The Projects

Approved Building Projects

If approved, the $320.5 million bond would fund projects that address our greatest facility needs across the district.

Project	Current Enrollment	Year Built	Acres	Capacity	Purpose	Total Cost
New Hanover High School (Phase 1)	1,326	1920	10	1,678	Phase 1 of the proposed NHHS master plan would: secure the perimeter of the campus, as well as the Catwalk; add a new dining hall, new classrooms, a new secure courtyard on the southside of campus, and a new bus drop zone.	$59,786,276
Trask Middle School (New Building) Existing building	622	---- 1976	*79 30	1,000 707	A new 1,000 student middle school to replace the existing Trask Middle School. The new middle school will be built on the Sidbury Road/SEA-TECH site. The existing population at Trask would be relocated to the new building and provide classroom space for expansion. The existing TMS building would become part of the Laney High School campus. This will help alleviate traffic concerns and provide additional high school capacity.	$94,751,362
Riverlights Elementary (Replacement) MC Williams	---	---- 1976	15 18.9	650 431	A replacement school with 650 student capacity to be built within the Riverlights development. This project would take the place of renovating/rebuilding MC Williams help maximize capacity in this region of the county. New School will be PreK compatible. This project is needed to address the safety issues of the existing building, such as the pod configuration and exterior circulation.	$53,855,851
Pine Valley Elementary (Replacement) Existing building	421	1969	15 15	650 528	A new 650 student elementary school to be built on the existing campus to replace the current school. This project is needed to address the safety issues of the existing building, such as the exterior circulation. This project will also provide needed core facilities such as art and music classroom, multi-purpose room, small group rooms, additional office space, and a larger cafeteria. Replacement building will be PreK compatible.	$56,332,402
Porters Neck Elementary (Addition) Existing building	694	2017	5.4	743 589	An 8-classroom addition to provide additional classroom space for the growing population of students in this region of the county.	$7,625,000

District Wide Improvements

Every School Benefits

While not every school has a major construction project in this referendum, every school will benefit.

Districtwide investments include technology upgrades, safety improvements, building systems, and infrastructure enhancements that support students and staff across all 45 schools.

Project	Purpose	Total Cost
District-wide Systems Upgrades	To address critical building infrastructure needs by modernizing and replacing aging HVAC systems across campuses, ensuring safe, efficient, and sustainable learning environments. Funds will target the greatest needs, improve energy efficiency, and extend facility lifespans in alignment with long-term capital goals.	$20,000,000
District-wide Technology	Technology Improvements : Complete the deployment of devices for all teachers and students in elementary schools. Additionally, we will initiate a systematic refresh of devices that have reached the end of their warranty period.	$10,000,000
District-wide Safety & Security Improvements	Safety Improvements to include security vestibule projects for 20 of our schools, at a rate of two schools per year, over a ten-year period. The costs associated with each project include: the construction of a secure vestibule, to control and monitor entry points; the installation of security bollards, to enhance perimeter safety; and the installation of drop-down shades for every office and classroom space in the school. Project costs will vary by school based on the configuration of entryways and the scope of renovations required.	$10,000,000
Building Project Management & Contingency Costs	To provide comprehensive project management and contingency funding for all bond-funded construction projects. These funds will ensure effective oversight, timely delivery, and risk mitigation throughout planning and execution, covering unforeseen costs and maintaining project quality within established timelines and budgets.	$8,170,527
	Total Building Project Cost	$320,521,418

Safety & Security Improvements

Safety & Security Improvements

The proposed safety and security improvements focus on strengthening building access and perimeter safety across 20 schools. The plan includes secure vestibules designed to help control and monitor entry points, security bollards to enhance perimeter safety, and drop-down shades for office and classroom spaces. Projects would be implemented at two schools per year over a 10-year period, with individual project costs varying based on each school’s entryway configuration and the scope of renovations required.

SCHOOL	YEAR	COST
Roland Grise / Laney	2027	$1,000,000
Ashley / Hoggard	2028	$1,000,000
Alderman / Mosley	2029	$1,000,000
Forest Hills /Murray	2030	$1,000,000
Bradley Creek / Sunset Park	2031	$1,000,000
Bellamy / Codington	2032	$1,000,000
Noble / Wrightsboro	2033	$1,000,000
Ogden / Myrtle Grove	2034	$1,000,000
CRECC / Holly Tree	2035	$1,000,000
Holly Shelter / Eaton	2036	$1,000,000
Total		$10,000,000

Technology Enhancements

Technology Device 5 Year Sustainability Plan

Year	Total Cost
Year 1: 3-5 Laptop cart for every 2 homerooms	$3,267,937.00
Year 2: K-2 - 11 iPads per homeroom, New Hanover, Laney	$5,470,689.00
Year 3: Remaining HS and Central Office	$5,477,591.00
Year 4: Middle Schools	$3,853,669.00
Year 5: No device replacements needed	$0.00
Total	$18,069,886.00

Technology Device 19 Year Sustainability Plan

Year	Total Cost
Year 1: 3-5 Laptops	$930,228.00
Year 2: 3-5 Laptops	$962,820.00
Year 3: 3-5 Laptops	$980,253.00
Year 4: 3-5 Laptops, K-2 iPads	$1,003,164.00
Year 5: K-2 iPads	$988,326.00
Year 6: 9-12 Laptops	$1,000,000.00
Year 7: 9-12 Laptops	$1,030,955.00
Year 8: 9-12 Laptops	$1,000,000.00
Year 9: K-2 iPads	$1,028,372.00
Year 10: K-2 iPads, 9-12 & Central Office Laptops	$1,011,617.00
Year 11: 9-12 Laptops	$1,000,000.00
Year 12: 9-12 Laptops	$905,944.00
Year 13: 9-12 Laptops	$1,000,000.00
Year 14: 9-12 Laptops	$981,484.00
Year 15: 9-12 Laptops	$889,350.00
Year 16: 6-8 Laptops	$1,106,465.00
Year 17: 6-8 Laptops	$1,110,055.00
Year 18: 6-8 Laptops	$1,091,579.00
Year 19: 6-8 Laptops	$458,843.00
Total:	$18,479,455

The Process

Funding

School districts operate with three primary funding sources: state, federal, and local. Each funding source has strict rules about how those dollars can be spent, making budgeting much more complex than many realize. At the same time, operating costs continue to rise—from utilities and transportation to food and maintenance.

The need to renovate or replace obsolete facilities is ongoing. Decreased capital funding has resulted in deferred maintenance, repairs, and replacement of essential building systems and components. Major renovations are needed at schools that have not had any significant work since originally constructed, an average of 25+ years ago.

Revenue Source	2023-2024	2024-2025	2025-2026
State of North Carolina	$191,081,828	$193,177,940	$187,770,598
New Hanover County	$94,027,460	$99,560,894	$103,463,721
U.S. Government	$52,578,619	$19,947,335	$19,052,182
Other revenues	$11,323,454	$3,059,196	$251,998
Grand Total	$349.011,361	$315,745,365	$310,538,499

New Hanover County Schools