Wake County School Board approves $121 million Ligon Middle rebuild on ballfields

The Wake County School Board voted at its March 4–5, 2026 meeting to demolish the 1953 Ligon building and construct a new campus on the school’s ballfields, approving a plan News & Observer reported as unanimous and budgeting at least $121 million for a project expected to take three years or more. Superintendent Robert Taylor told the board, “This building was constructed in the 1950s and has lasted nearly 70 years. We recognize that whatever facility we construct is something we hope to use for multiple decades.”

Under the selected Option 3, the district will build the new John W. Ligon Magnet Middle School on the back of the property where the ballfields now sit, keep students in the existing structure while construction proceeds, then tear down the current 73-year-old building and reconstruct athletic fields on the hill-side of the campus. ABC11 and WRAL coverage noted the phasing is designed to minimize disruption to students and staff during construction.

Local support and opposition split along community lines during months of debate. The Ligon Parent Teacher Association voted overwhelmingly for Option 3, with WRAL reporting a PTA tally of 187 in favor, 2 for renovation and 0 for rebuilding on the current hill site. The News & Observer said the $121 million plan was backed by Ligon’s families and staff, while some alumni and preservation advocates urged saving the hilltop building instead.

That preservation argument was voiced at January community meetings by alumni such as Dan Coleman, who told district officials the board should keep Ligon “on the top of the hill, preserving a ‘proud legacy’.” Board member Toshiba Rice urged compromise, saying the district should consider the more expensive Option 2 supported by some alumni: Rice asked the district to compromise “like the alumni did in supporting option 2 even if it means demolishing the main building.”

District officials framed the rebuild as a response to capacity and classroom-size shortcomings. WRAL reported district staff concluded classrooms in the existing building are smaller than modern recommendations and the school cannot meet current or projected student demand without a new facility. Assistant Superintendent Glenn Carrozza dismissed a temporary relocation to St. Augustine’s University as infeasible, saying, “There would have been security issues asking middle school students to walk the length of St. Aug’s campus to change classes.”

Alongside the construction directive, the board instructed staff to include a legacy tribute on the hill and to form a Ligon Legacy Committee to preserve the school’s history. Superintendent Taylor said, “We feel that the history of what has happened in this facility and what it's done to the community is something that has to be recognized and valued and a part of the educational landscape.” Chair Tyler Swanson added, “Honoring that is important, but also looking 70 years from now, making sure that the school can fit the needs of future Little Blues that is important.” The district will now move from planning to design and funding discussions as the multi-year project advances.