Hundreds of students, alumni, and families gathered to celebrate the grand opening and honor the legacy of the original Eastman School, founded in 1894. The new 101,000 square-foot facility replaces the former school, which closed in 2009 after serving generations of Halifax County families.
For alumni like Charles Hedgepeth, who graduated in the last high school class in 1981 and later saw his son attend the middle school version of Eastman, the reopening is deeply meaningful. This fall, three of his grandchildren will begin their education at the new campus.
"I'm not a very emotional guy, but I get a little teary eyed. I'm glad to see this school," Hedgepeth said.
Superintendent Dr. Eric Cunningham, who first envisioned the reconstruction in 2017, praised the community effort behind the project. "Look at what we've accomplished together. Thank you, lottery. Thank you," he said.
Eastman Leadership Academy is now the 45th school in North Carolina to open or be renovated using lottery funded grants.
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