Hoke County Middle School Called Pilot Project for the Nation

Members of the Regional Land Use Advisory Committee on Thursday heard about a Hoke County middle school that uses solar power to achieve surplus energy.

Sandy Grove Middle School in Lumber Bridge produces about 40 percent more energy than it needs to operate.

Robbie Ferris is the CEO and president of Shuller, Ferris, Lindstrom and Associates, which designed and built the school. He called it “a pilot project for the nation.”

Jim Dougherty, executive director of the advisory committee, said highlighting a project like Sandy Grove is in keeping with the organization’s goals.

“This item on the school comes in because one of our objectives is protecting the integrity of the long leaf pine ecosystem,” Dougherty said.

The organization includes members representing 20 local governments, including counties, municipalities and Fort Bragg. The nonprofit’s goal is to strike a balance among the civilian population, the military training mission and the natural ecosystem through thoughtful planning and development.

Sandy Grove is nearing the end of its first school year. It was named Best K-12 Education Project by Engineering News and Record, and it was built to achieve a platinum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating.

Ferris said he gives presentations on the school once a week.

“I could do this presentation in my sleep,” he said.

Hoke County schools Superintendent Freddie Williamson called the project innovative.

“This was so new, no one had ever even tried it before,” Williamson said. “There was great risk in that. But the science worked, and great planning worked.”

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North Carolina School Boards AssociationHoke County Middle School Called Pilot Project for the Nation