For the past three years the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District has been seeking funds for a new building for Clara Hearne Pre-K through the state’s Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund.

Thus far the school system has not been awarded the grant.

Today, Superintendent Julie Thompson presented to Halifax County commissioners another grant proposal — a new middle school which would open up Chaloner Middle School school for use by Clara Hearne as well as the ACES alternative education center.

The board approved the request to move forward with the grant application with a percentage match not to exceed $3.1 million if the grant is awarded.

A memo to the board from Deputy County Manager Christina Wells said that in previous years the county has successfully partnered with Halifax County Schools and Weldon City Schools.

“In the most recent funding round, the maximum NBPSCF awards for FY 24-25 were $42 million for elementary schools, $52 million for middle schools, and $62 million for high schools,” the memo said. 

The memo said the Roanoke Rapids Graded School District is proposing a project to replace the current Chaloner Middle School by building a new middle school on property that is already owned by the school system and located behind Belmont Elementary School. 

This new school will serve 700 middle school students and allow Clara Hearne Pre-K and the ACES alternative education center to relocate to the former Chaloner Middle School facility. Although the FY25-26 grant applications have not yet been released, RRGSD staff have completed an FY24-25 application requesting the full $52 million in NBPSCF for the middle school project, which has been approved by the RRGSD Board of Education. 

Thompson told the board that the school system continues to believe in the dream of a new Pre-K facility but for the past three years the project has not been funded. “We worked closely with DPI (the state Department of Public Instruction) and Smith-Sinnet architects to craft the most competitive grant application possible.”

A new idea emerged from talks with Halifax County staff, the superintendent said, which was to pursue a grant for a new middle school. “By adjusting the focus of our application, we align more fully with rubric criteria which puts us in a stronger position to maximize across all categories."

The shift addresses several needs at once, she told the board. 

Chaloner was built in 1955 and is undersized. It has more than $6 million of deferred maintenance costs. “Building a new middle school provides modern learning environments which are needed for student engagement and safety and will eliminate modular units and provide .. spaces for STEM education, engineering and math.”

Grades sixth through eighth are a required part of school while Pre-K is not. As opposed to 11.6 acres to the 22.8 acres the state recommends for middle schools, Chaloner has limited space for parental pickups and drop-offs, which causes significant congestion on Virginia Avenue. “It requires regular support from the Roanoke Rapids Police Department.”

Last year the system worked closely with the state Department of Transportation to look at traffic situations at Belmont and Chaloner.

When the Belmont study is completed, NCDOT will consider changes at Chaloner as well. 

By building a new two-story middle school for 700 students — expandable to 850 — on land behind Belmont, Thompson said, “We can strategically consolidate programs and we can renovate the Chaloner facility to house programs from other school buildings. “This new plan directly aligns with key elements (of the grant), including new construction, critical facility needs, and strategic use of existing space, greatly improving our chances of receiving state funding.”

The property where Belmont is located is at the top of Bolling Road and runs to Craig Street, which runs into Tenth Street across from Creekside Court.

The middle school would face Craig Street. The middle school would not share traffic or bus use with Belmont.

“This proposal is more than just building a new middle school,” Thompson said. “It’s about making smart, long-term decisions that are beneficial to students, families and tax payers for generations to come.”

Based on current projections, the current price of a new middle school built for 700 students would cost $63,248,441, an estimate that includes inflation and contingencies. 

Thompson said if the maximum amount of the grant remained at $52 million or less, the requested amount of the grant could be reduced by lowering the number of students to 650 instead of 700. “This would drop the cost to $47,449,632.

Should the school system be awarded the grant, once the middle school project is complete it would then pursue additional funding to renovate and reconfigure the current Chaloner school for future use. “Our early concept was to create separate, secure, and developmentally appropriate spaces within the existing building.”

For instance, Clara Hearne could be housed in Chaloner’s sixth-grade wing, which would have dedicated entrances, restrooms, and secure access control while the seventh-grade wing could be used for ACES students. The eighth-grade wing could be used for specialized instruction.

Director of Facilities and Maintenance Robbie Clements told the board the school system could use its repair-renovation funds and capital funds to work on the Chaloner renovations should it get to that point.

“It seems like this is overdue,” Commissioner Jimmie Silver said.