McDowell County Schools wins $42 million NCDPI grant to build consolidated Eastfield/Marion elementary
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Summary
Superintendent Tracy Grit announced the district received a $42,000,000 capital needs grant from NCDPI to build a combined Eastfield Global Magnet and Marion Elementary School; architects presented a conceptual two‑story ~105,000 sq ft plan and officials said community engagement and focus groups will shape final design.
Superintendent Tracy Grit announced at the board’s December reorganizational meeting that McDowell County Schools was one of 10 districts statewide to receive an NCDPI capital needs grant, awarding the district $42,000,000 to build a consolidated school that would combine Eastfield Global Magnet and Marion Elementary.
“We received a $42,000,000 award to build a new combined school for East Mill Eastfield Global Magnet and Marion Elementary School,” Grit said, thanking state board members, legislators and district staff who worked on the application.
The superintendent briefed the board on the background that led to the grant, saying a 2020 facility needs assessment and follow‑up studies between 2022 and 2024 identified the need to consolidate and modernize aging buildings. He said the district purchased two parcels, completed phase‑1 environmental testing, issued an RFQ and selected an architect to support the design and submission to DPI.
Architect Patrick McMurray of Holland and Hammock Architects gave a conceptual preview of the design team’s submission to DPI. “We’re probably actually a little ahead of where we would normally be at,” McMurray said, describing a roughly 105,000‑square‑foot, two‑story building with an estimated 38 classrooms, a central library and commons area, gym and cafeteria. He emphasized nothing is settled and the team plans focus groups with administrators, teachers, maintenance staff, students and families to refine school‑specific elements.
Designers flagged site constraints including wetlands and a utility corridor and said traffic, bus stacking and drop‑off circulation are under review with municipal planning and NCDOT. The team also discussed options for outdoor play areas, stormwater mitigation and possible shared use of local contractors during construction.
District leaders said the grant will require further approvals and community input; they signaled a March milestone to begin focused planning and public engagement. Grit said the district will seek community feedback on calendar, mascot, school programs and how staffing and facility consolidation will be phased.
The board did not take a final vote on design elements at the meeting. Next steps the district described include focus‑group meetings, additional facility study work and continued coordination with NCDPI and local permitting agencies.
