WILMINGTON, N.C. — The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction reports at least 250 approved school construction projects across the Tar Heel State since January of this year. One of those projects—and one of the oldest high schools still in use in the state—is now getting some much-needed improvements.
New Hanover County’s New Hanover High School opened in 1922 and has since fallen into disrepair.
Eddie Anderson spent a majority of his career in construction. He says working on school buildings has been some of his most rewarding work.
“I just enjoyed it,” Anderson said. “Ultimately came to work with the school district, and I think the work we do is just that much more meaningful uh when you impact students the way we do and the community as a whole.”
He’s now the Assistant Superintendent for Operations and Planning for New Hanover County Schools and said he’s excited to bring his expertise to New Hanover High School—which is undergoing some much-needed repairs.
“It’s the flagship of our school district,” Anderson said. “One of the oldest school buildings in the state.”
The old building is starting to look its age, and over time, has even started to sink.
“Lot of work going on, it’s quite dramatic when you see it, but the building is structurally sound,” Anderson said. “What we’re doing is installing micropiles that will stabilize the foundation and keep it from sinking any further.”
Phase one of the construction project will stabilize the building and repair the damage caused by sinking over the years.
“This is a good example of the cracking that occurred because of the settlement,” Anderson explained. “That’s why it’s so important to stabilize the foundation, and so we’ll come in and we’ll grout this and redo the space, this will be a brand new classroom.”
Anderson emphasizes that although construction will be happening while school is in session, safety is the number one priority.
That’s why all construction areas will be fenced off from students, and construction workers will have a separate entrance to the building.
“We want to be able to separate construction from school activities for safety, for noise, for all those reasons,” Anderson said.
Sixteen classrooms will be closed in the new school year and moved to mobile classrooms on the campus. New signs are posted to alert students of the new locations and traffic flow. Anderson said although these changes may take some getting used to, they’ll be worth it in the long run.
“A little paint and lighting go a long ways but I think it’s more than that,” Anderson said. “And this school in particular, it’s the morale, this is gonna be an example of what we want to do to the rest of the building long term.”
It’s estimated that more than $90 million will be needed for improvements to New Hanover High School. That money is coming from the district’s capital budget. That’s above the average cost of construction per high school in North Carolina. In 2020, for example, the NC Department of Instruction reports an average of $86 million for high school construction costs.
The district has created a webpage with all the necessary information parents and students will need as they make their return to New Hanover High School.