Halifax County commissioners today approved a grant project ordinance as well as an administrative agreement that will ultimately bring a new pre-K through 8 school to the western part of the county to replace Eastman school.

The Halifax County Board of Education must also sign-off on the agreement, County Attorney Glynn Rollins told the board.

The county and school system received a Needs-based Public School Capital fund grant from the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction in May for $39,083,000 for the construction of the new school.

The county will contribute $2,057,000 in matching funds for the $41,140,000 project.

Rollins told the board the county administers the funds while the school system is responsible for overseeing construction.

Rollins said the finance department and other members of county and school staff will be having regular meetings while construction is underway. The county will make disbursements payments to DPI, Rollins said.

The grant project ordinance also gives the chair of the county commissioners the authority to sign disbursement requests along with the board of education chair, Rollins said. “Everyone is very excited about this.”

Board Chair Vernon Bryant said, “This is a good opportunity for Halifax County.”

Commissioner Carolyn Johnson, who made the motion to approve the agreement with a second from John Smith, said, “Our community is so excited.”

In an overview of the project before the grant application was filed the school system said that middle school students in the western part of the county often have bus rides over an hour each way to William R. Davie Middle School outside Roanoke Rapids which leads to a portion of families opting for charter schools in neighboring counties.