The Halifax County Schools system in eastern North Carolina was the recipient Aug. 4 of a check for just over $39 million to build a new Eastman Elementary School in the western part of the county.
Michael Wray, a Democratic state House member representing District 27 in Halifax and Northampton counties, presented the check to local officials at the site of the new school, according to RRSpin.com, a news source for the rural region.
The pre-K through eighth-grade school "will allow each student access to a full continuum of services" as well as increase "academics, social outcomes and community engagement," the school system said in a statement.
"This is a situation where the community is in dire need of a new school for the children who reside in this part of the county," Wray explained. "It will [take the school] into the 21st century with technology and additional resources that will greatly benefit students."
Halifax County Commissioner Carolyn Johnson also attended the ceremony, and, in her remarks, she said, "This is phenomenal for this community. When [Superintendent] Dr. [Eric] Cunningham and his team made their presentation concerning the application, we knew that this was a good application. We knew it was an application worthy of funding, so it was no surprise that Halifax County Schools received the North Carolina Public Schools Needs Based Grant. The leadership there is phenomenal, and we look forward to greater and better things."
Cunningham also expressed his gratitude to Wray for his support of the school system.
"The additional funding presented by Rep. Wray will allow us to continue to make a tremendous difference in our students, staff, families, and community," he noted.
New School to Merge Two Others
RRSpin.com reported that discussions earlier this year between school officials and Halifax County commissioners unveiled that the new school would have a capacity of 620 students and merge the populations of children attending the current Hollister and Pittman elementary schools.
The proposal also called for it to be constructed on the old Eastman school site.
The critical need, according to a synopsis prepared by Halifax County Schools, is that the district has two small and aging elementary schools that inadequately serve the western part of the county. As a result of the geography of the district and the capacities of the nearest elementary schools, consolidation into one old school is not seen as a practical option, according to RRSpin.com.
The description noted that at the current elementary schools, students have limited access to resources such as multiple types of teachers, a school counselor, media center specialist and a school nurse. Small school sizes have compelled the district to send core staff members to each facility to avoid combination classes to ensure that students' needs are met. Thus, increased staffing costs are limiting the district's resources to fully develop a whole child educational program for every public-school student in Halifax County.
In addition, the Roanoke Rapids-based online news service said the synopsis explained that middle school students in western Halifax County often have bus rides over an hour each way to William R. Davie Middle School outside town "which leads to a portion of families opting for charter schools in neighboring counties."
Halifax County School Board Chair Tyus Few called the $39 million in funding for the new Eastman school "a blessing for this community," while adding, "We pray [the state continues] to support Halifax County Schools and all we are trying to do for the children."
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