Board accepts $62 million state grant to build North Edgecombe School of Innovation

Edgecomb County Public Schools' board on Oct. 14 approved acceptance of a $62,000,000 needs‑based Public School Capital Fund award from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction to build a new North Edgecombe School of Innovation serving pre‑K through 12.

The board voted to accept the award as part of its consent agenda after district staff described the project as bringing together three existing schools on one site with renovations, new construction, support facilities and updated grounds and athletic fields. Superintendent statements at the meeting said the project will “significantly benefit our students and our larger community” and that the district has begun advertising a request for qualifications for architectural design.

Why it matters: the award is among the largest capital grants the district has received and is intended to fund consolidation and modernization of multiple school sites into a single, PK–12 innovation campus. Acceptance of the funds starts procurement and planning steps that the board and staff said will be followed by design and contractor selection.

Votes at a glance: the acceptance motion was moved, seconded and carried by voice vote; the meeting record shows the motion approved without a roll‑call tally.

Other actions tied to capital and safety funding: at the same meeting the board also accepted a federal COPS School Violence Prevention Program grant (about $469,999) to fund security upgrades at 15 school sites and approved a district match for that grant from local capital outlay funds. The board additionally approved a contract for interpreter services to support newly arrived students in exceptional‑children programs and several personnel and extracurricular appointments.

Next steps: district staff said they have started the RFQ process for architecture and design work and will return to the board with procurement recommendations and project milestones as planning progresses.