New Hanover County voters will decide on November 3 whether to invest $320.5 million in our public schools. Here’s exactly what the plan builds, what it costs, and why the numbers work.
What Your Yes Vote Builds
A new middle school to replace Trask. A new 1,000-student middle school on the SEA-Tech campus off Sidbury Road. The current Trask building becomes part of Laney High School, adding high school capacity where growth demands it.
New Hanover High School, Phase 1. A secured campus perimeter and Catwalk, a new dining hall, new classrooms, a secure courtyard, and a safer bus drop-off. The county’s oldest high school gets the safety and facilities its students deserve.
A new Pine Valley Elementary. A new 650-student school built on the current campus. It fixes safety and layout problems and adds what the school has never had: art and music classrooms and a cafeteria big enough for its students.
A new elementary school in Riverlights. A 650-student school to replace the aging Mary C. Williams Elementary facility.
More room at Porters Neck Elementary. An eight-classroom addition in one of the fastest-growing parts of the county.
Upgrades at every school. Safety improvements, building systems, and technology across the entire district.
What It Costs You
$20 a year on a $400,000 home. That’s it.
The bond requires a property tax increase of half a cent per $100 of assessed value. For a $100,000 property, that’s $5 a year. For a $400,000 home, $20 a year. Less than the cost of one family pizza night.
Current modeling shows no increase beyond the half-cent over the life of the debt.
Why the Cost Is So Low
Private funding is doing the heavy lifting. The Endowment has committed up to $116 million over ten years toward paying down the bond debt. The county applies that money directly to debt service.
That commitment cuts the tax impact by 71 percent. Without it, property owners would pay about $17.50 per year per $100,000 of value. With it, they pay $5.
This is the deal on the table: a generational investment in our schools, with private dollars covering most of the cost. That deal only happens if voters say yes.
Built on a Transparent Process
Every project in this plan came through the Finance, Capital and Bond Joint Committee’s public review process. County commissioners adopted the bond order on June 15, 2026, after months of open diligence. The plan reflects real needs, verified costs, and honest math.
The Bottom Line
Six major projects. Every school benefits. For a $400,000 home, the cost is $20 a year.
Vote Yes on November 3.
Vote Yes for New Hanover’s Future Committee is the registered referendum committee supporting the New Hanover County Schools Bond.