Brunswick County School Bonds Referendum

What it does

Additional property taxes may be levied on property located in the County of Brunswick in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on bonds if approved by the following ballot question. SHALL the order authorizing $349,600,000 of bonds plus interest to provide funds to pay the capital costs of constructing, improving, and renovating school facilities, including, but not limited to, the construction and renovation of classroom facilities, the acquisition and installation of furnishings and equipment, the acquisition of land, rights-of-way and easements in land required therefor, and related public infrastructure development, and providing that additional taxes may be levied in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds be approved, in light of the following: (1) The estimated cumulative cost over the life of the bonds, using the highest interest rate charged for similar debt over the last 20 years, would be $545,767,552 (consisting of $349,600,000 principal amount of the bonds plus $196,167,552 of interest). (2) The estimated amount of property tax liability increase for each one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) of property tax value to service the cumulative cost over the life of the bond provided above would be $54.66 per year.

A YES vote means

Brunswick County could borrow $349,600,000 by issuing bonds for building, improving and renovating school facilities, including classrooms, furnishings, equipment, land and related infrastructure, repaid with property taxes; the estimated total cost with interest is $545,767,552, and the estimated property tax increase is $54.66 a year per $100,000 of value.

A NO vote means

Brunswick County would not be authorized to issue these $349,600,000 in bonds or levy taxes to repay them.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

WECT reported that the Brunswick County Board of Commissioners adopted the bond order for up to $349.6 million in school bonds at its May 18, 2026 meeting, sending it to the November 3 ballot.

Brunswick County Schools says the county is the fastest-growing in North Carolina, that schools rely on mobile classrooms, and that elementary schools are at 93% of capacity with several over capacity; the district says the bonds would pay for new schools, modernizing existing facilities and safety improvements.

The district's cost calculator cites a Brunswick County estimate that the bonds would add 5.466 cents per $100 of assessed value when fully phased in by 2032, starting with 2.153 cents in 2028-29.

Put on the ballot by Brunswick County Board of Commissioners, bond order adopted May 18, 2026 (vote count not reported).

From official source.

In the news

• Brunswick County voters to decide on $349.6 million school bond in November · WECT, 2026-05-27

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Brunswick County School Bonds Referendum mean?

Brunswick County could borrow $349,600,000 by issuing bonds for building, improving and renovating school facilities, including classrooms, furnishings, equipment, land and related infrastructure, repaid with property taxes; the estimated total cost with interest is $545,767,552, and the estimated property tax increase is $54.66 a year per $100,000 of value.

What does a NO vote on Brunswick County School Bonds Referendum mean?

Brunswick County would not be authorized to issue these $349,600,000 in bonds or levy taxes to repay them.

How many votes does Brunswick County School Bonds Referendum need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on Brunswick County School Bonds Referendum?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.