New North Edgecombe High goes out to bid; opening planned for January 2029

What happened

The new North Edgecombe high school is budgeted at about $65.1 million, mostly from a $62 million state grant plus a county match. Bids are due Dec. 1 and Dec. 10, 2026, and construction is set to start by Jan. 31, 2027. A career-tech wing and athletic fields will be added only if bids come in low enough.

Why it matters to families

In August the architects estimated $65.2 million against $65.1 million available, so there is almost no cushion. The school is planned to open in January 2029. A later PreK-8 phase is not yet funded.

The evidence

In the Oct. 21, 2026 special meeting recording, the construction manager gives the bid days (about 27-29 minutes in), the start date of no later than Jan. 31 (about 33-39 minutes in) and the add-on alternates (about 42-43 minutes in). The Aug. 10, 2026 recording has the $65.2 million estimate and the January 2029 opening. The source is the official meeting recording; its auto-captions can garble numbers, so check the recording.

The source