More than 35,000 Cabarrus County students walked into class Wednesday, Aug. 12, and at Coltrane-Webb STEM Elementary in Concord, a replacement school built for 756 students, the hallways had never been used before.

The 115,000-square-foot building at 61 Spring St. NW is one of three brand-new campuses that opened for the 2026-27 school year, as reported by WSOC TV. The others are the Cabarrus County Schools Opportunity School and the Mary Frances Wall Center at Beverly Hills.

At a ribbon-cutting Tuesday, Aug. 11, Superintendent John Kopicki said the building "stands on historic ground, but it was built with tomorrow in mind."

The campus dates to 1887. Coltrane Grammar School and Webb School merged there in 1957, and the school earned its STEM magnet designation in 2011. The new building, designed by Concord-based Yates Chreitzberg Hughes Architects and built by Rodgers Builders, features flexible classrooms, outdoor learning areas, art and music rooms, and enhanced safety features.

As we reported Aug. 11, the three new schools are part of roughly $71 million in facility upgrades across the district.

Opportunity School adds 63 pre-K seats

At the new Opportunity School, pre-K director Tracy Thiery said the larger building lets her program serve 63 additional students and consolidate screening and evaluation services for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds under one roof.

Thiery told WSOC TV that the response from families has been immediate. At an open house Saturday, Aug. 8, she said students "didn't want to leave their brand new building."

Growth drove the need

The new campuses address years of overcrowding. The district's student population grew 21% between 2010 and 2020, forcing some schools to rely on mobile classrooms. Cabarrus County Schools now enrolls 35,772 students across 43 schools.

While growth has slowed in recent years, aging infrastructure and capacity gaps remain, according to the district's bond FAQ.

$340 million bond vote is next

Voters will decide Tuesday, Nov. 3, whether to approve a $340 million general obligation bond for school construction, renovations and facility improvements. A separate $60 million bond for Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is also on the ballot. The Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners placed both measures on the ballot July 21.

If approved, the school bond would fund projects including a replacement for Northwest Cabarrus High School and a new elementary school on the county's northwest side, according to county financing documents.

Voter registration closes Friday, Oct. 9. Early voting runs Oct. 15 through Oct. 31.