With the start of the new school year and the front of New Hanover High School closed for structural repairs, local officials are discussing what the future of the school might look like.
In 1997, the more than 100-year-old school needed multimillion-dollar repairs to Brogden Hall and the school track. Now the school district is addressing the urgent need for structural repairs to the oldest part of the school building.
As you drive past the historic building on Market Street, you’ll see metal fencing and piles of dirt where construction crews are busy removing drywall and fixing the foundation to repair the south-facing wall.
Although Assistant Superintendent Eddie Anderson stated that this part of the building is likely to be in the greatest need of repair, a comprehensive survey of the school will be required for future repairs.
More: Repairs planned for New Hanover High, but advocates say complete renovation is needed
The New Hanover County Board of Commissioners voted this week to fund the $300,000 comprehensive study, but at an earlier meeting some had questions about what steps should be taken to ensure the school can continue to serve students and teachers for years to come.
County Manager Chris Coudriet noted that New Hanover has probably received the least funding of the schools the county has invested in. The study is expected to take six to nine months.
But County Commissioner Jonathan Barfield Jr., who once attended the school himself, said it was worth considering building an entirely new school, as was done with Blair Elementary School and College Park Elementary School. Barfield was aware of the school’s sentimental value, as both he and board President Bill Rivenbark attended the school, but continuing to invest money in the existing facility might not be the best business decision.
“You’re not going to create a modern facility there, no matter how many assessments you do,” Barfield said. “I think we’re smart enough to know we need a new building.”
Although he supported the study, Barfield said students deserve a new school that doesn’t need constant repairs. When the school year begins this year, some students will attend classes in mobile classrooms in the parking lot next to the Joe Miller weight room.
County Commissioner Dane Scalise said he felt New Hanover High was a jewel of the county and supported funding for the study on the condition that the historic school be preserved if possible.
Anderson said once the district has the results of the study, the district, school board and county commissioners can have more in-depth conversations about the school’s future. He said cost would be a factor.
“I mean, if we’re going to spend as much money renovating the building as it would cost to build a brand new high school, that’s where we’re going to have those discussions,” Anderson said.
More: 8 New Hanover High School graduates you may know from the school’s 100-year history
However, Rivenbark said he would not make the decision to demolish the school. Anderson said he would not want to make that decision either.
“We could never build this high school today,” Anderson said. “A lot of great people have walked through the halls of this building … there are some very strong opinions or feelings about this building.”
Scalise said that while the study may reveal that the problems are far worse than any meaningful fix, the district owes it to the public to find out exactly what is related to the problem before making a decision on a new school.
“It’s an old building, but if it can be saved, it would be nice if we could. But I don’t know and that’s why we’re approving this study,” Scalise said.
Scalise said it is also the board’s duty to find out what New Hanover High needs because the “status quo is not acceptable.”
Funding for the survey will come from the county’s special budget fund, said Eric Credle, the county’s chief financial officer.
