Students walked into a brand-new $50 million middle-high school in Weldon on Monday, ending years of make-do classrooms in older facilities. Weldon City Schools held a ribbon-cutting and dedication ceremony for the combined grade 6-12 facility at 415 County Road, marking the close of a planning process that started back in 2021.
The project came together after an earlier grant application from the district was denied, according to The Daily Herald. Weldon City Schools submitted another application, and this time the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction came through: the district secured more than $50 million from the state's Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund, capped at the maximum allowance for high school capital projects, per the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. The project's funding was also covered by a report from RRSpin.
Weldon High School had older facilities, while Weldon Middle School dealt with chronic moisture problems, the same report notes. In its 2022 grant application, the district also reported a student poverty rate of 86.96 percent at Weldon High School, underscoring the low-wealth status that made it a priority for state funding.
A Small District Solves a Big Space Problem
Combining middle and high school grades into a single campus lets the system share dining and athletic facilities and cut down on duplicate operating costs, a structural reality that helped drive the consolidation plan in the first place.
The county was also represented at the ceremony.
A School With Community History
The new school is part of the community's educational history.
The Bunche name honors Ralph J. Bunche. The new campus keeps that legacy visible: bricks from the former school building were retained in construction, and the Ralph J. Bunche Gymnasium was renovated and kept on the property rather than demolished.
Weldon City Schools Board of Education Chairwoman Tiffany Hale was among the officials at the ceremony. Halifax County Board of Commissioners Chairman Vernon J. Bryant, a 1975 graduate of Weldon High School, said the new school represents an investment in children. The ceremony also honored James “Tank” Williams, a former Weldon board of education chairman who died before the school was completed.
Ceremony Blends Dedication With Remembrance
Superintendent Tammy R. Boone said the ceremony marked a significant moment for students, families and the community, and that the school aims to provide a 21st-century learning environment that encourages curiosity, collaboration and innovation. Principal Gary Clark called the opening a new beginning for students, staff and the community, and said the school is meant to prepare students for post-secondary education, military service or careers.
Weldon Mayor Hugh Credle said the new school can help build a better community and give young people a place where they want to stay. Ziara McGee, a Weldon Middle-High School student, said the new building offers a new beginning and a better future for students. State Rep. Rodney D. Pierce joined the dedication as well.
The program included several ceremonial elements. The Weldon City Schools band performed, and the dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting occurred on September 11, 2026, the 25th anniversary date of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Lottery Dollars Behind the Build
The funding trail behind the new school traces back to the North Carolina Education Lottery, which raises about $3 million per day for education statewide and has generated $151 million for Halifax County since its inception 20 years ago. Statewide, the lottery raised an estimated $1.14 billion for education over the past year, marking the fourth consecutive year transfers have topped $1 billion, according to a related Hoodline report on lottery-funded school construction.
Weldon Middle-High School was the 10th school to open in 2026 using lottery funding. The program has received applications totaling more than $2.4 billion, while awarded school-facility funding surpassed $1 billion in recent years. Weldon Middle-High School began classes Monday, opening what organizers are calling its next chapter for the community.
