On Monday morning, Weldon middle and high school students will report to classes in a new building.

Today, amid several cries of “Charger Pride,” officials celebrated with the community and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Weldon Middle-High School.

“On behalf of our students, families, staff, and the entire Weldon community, I want to thank each of you for joining us as we celebrate an important milestone in the life of Weldon City Schools,” said Noah Davis, a school board member. “Your presence reflects a shared commitment to public education and to the young people who will learn, grow, and prepare for their futures within these walls.”

Principal Gary Clark said today was more than just a ribbon-cutting. “This truly is a new beginning and a new chapter for our students, our staff, and our community. I really want to begin today by expressing my sincere gratitude to our school board members and also to our superintendent for their visionary leadership, hard work, and commitment that made this project possible.”

He said Weldon students deserve a 21st-century learning environment and “a place that inspires curiosity, encourages collaboration, supports innovation, and prepares them for the world that’s beyond Weldon High School and even North Carolina.”

Superintendent Tammy Boone said, “I just want you to know my heart is filled with gratitude this morning as I look around and see so many people who believe in this vision and have worked together to make this day possible.”

Boone told the audience that she doesn’t see just hallways and walls. “I see the future for our students. I see students walking through these doors with dreams in their hearts. I see teachers changing lives. I see friendships being formed, memories being made, diplomas being earned, and young people leaving here prepared to make their mark on this world.”

She told those who had a hand in bringing the school to reality, “You did not just help build a school. You helped build a place where dreams take root.”

With the opening of the school scheduled for 7:45 a.m. Monday, Weldon Mayor Hugh Credle said, “I’m looking forward to a better community and a better place for our kids so they’ll want to live here and stay.”

Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman Vernon Bryant, a Weldon City Schools graduate, said of the occasion, “This is very meaningful to me. This moment is very special to me. As I look around today, I can’t help but think about the young people who walked through the halls before us, the teachers who invested in us, and the memories that we’re going to carry for the rest of our lives.”

Bryant said the building represents more than brick and mortar: “It represents an investment in our children. It says to our students that you matter, your education matters, and your future matters.”

Katie Spigner, of the North Carolina Education Lottery, presented Boone with a ceremonial $50.5 million check. “Sometimes it’s hard to see exactly how lottery money is making a difference in our schools. This is a tangible reminder of why we do what we do. This is what it looks like to raise $3 million a day for education in our state.”

She said the Weldon school was funded in part by more than $50 million raised through a lottery needs-based grant. “That is a win.”

Lottery ticket sales have returned $151 million to Halifax County. The new Weldon facility is the 10th school opened this year through lottery-funded grants, Spigner said. “Northampton’s going to be next, we’ve got Bertie, and your neighbors in Halifax County Schools opened Eastman in June.”

House District 27 Representative Rodney Pierce recognized the people behind the scenes who made the school possible.

Weldon School Board Chair Tiffany Hale said planning for the new facility dated back to 2021. Even though the first grant application was denied, she said, “Weldon has never been a community that gives up so easily, so we went back to work.”

She said the district kept applying and, most importantly, “We kept believing because we knew that our students deserved better. They deserved a place that reflected their potential. They deserved a place where they could learn, grow, dream, and believe that their future could be bigger than their circumstances.”

Hale recalled the late coach and board member Tank Williams, who died before seeing the project completed. “I truly believe that Mr. Williams is looking down on us today smiling, because the vision he helped start — we’re standing on it today.”

Ziara McGee, a student, told the audience, “When I think about the new school, I feel happy and excited. It feels like a fresh, new start, something to look forward to. I think about the students who will come after us and all the opportunities they will have. They’ll get to learn in a new building and make memories of their own.”

She said, “I’m happy knowing this school will help so many people. It’s not just a new building to me — it’s a new beginning and a better future. I’m proud to be a part of a school that carries Charger pride every day with our blue and gold shining.”