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Brunswick County Schools outlines $349.6 million bond plan, asks Oak Island council to consider letter of support
Summary
Brunswick County Schools presented a $349.6 million bond referendum covering two new schools (about 91% of the total), safety and site projects, and a phased payout that could raise property taxes by up to 5.47 pennies per $100 valuation at maximum cost; the superintendent urged local support and said an elementary could open by 2029 and a high school by 2032 under the current plan.
Brunswick County School officials presented the details of a proposed $349,600,000 bond referendum to the Oak Island Town Council on July 14, saying most of the money would fund two new schools and countywide safety and site projects.
Board Chairman Steve Gainey introduced the presentation and Superintendent Dale Cole said roughly 91% of the bond would pay for an elementary school (about 900 seats) and a high school (projected 1,300 to 1,500 seats). "We need to build schools," Cole said, arguing the county has been adding modular classrooms and additions but is running out of permeable surface on campuses. He noted countywide elementary capacity is currently at about 93% and that without new schools some campuses would be overcapacity within years.
Cole presented timelines and cost projections: under the county's schedule, the first disbursement would be 2028, with additional payments in 2030 and 2032; at maximum advertised cost the bond would raise property taxes by about 5.47 pennies per $100 valuation over the payout period. Cole offered illustrative impacts: at the maximum cost a $350,000 home could see a maximum increase of about $15.94 per month in 2032. The presentation included capacity charts for Belleville Elementary and North Brunswick High School and noted the bond also budgets for intercom replacements, turf fields, bleacher upgrades and $8 million for land acquisition.
Cole asked the council to consider whether it would vote to support the referendum and supply a letter of support to be posted on the bond website. Council members asked few questions at the end of the presentation. The schools said detailed slides and demographic studies are available on the Brunswick County Schools bond web page for further review.
The presentation did not include a council vote that night on a formal support letter; Cole said the schools would welcome a letter on town letterhead if the council later chose to provide one.
