• 5 of 100 Stories •
Three Broughton Alumni Lead Communications for 2026 Wake County School Bond Campaign
Graduates from the Classes of 2013, 2019 and 2020 are working together to support the next generation of Wake County students
Three Broughton High School graduates are joining forces to lead communications, digital strategy and voter outreach for the Vote Yes Wake Schools Campaign supporting the 2026 Wake County School Bond.
Sisters Madeline Stephens, Broughton Class of 2013, and Margaret Crone, Class of 2020**, co-founded Crone & Co, a Raleigh-based strategic communications firm. They are partnering with Sarah Wallace, Class of 2019, of Sinclair Agency to lead the countywide campaign in coordination with the Greater Raleigh Chamber.
“As graduates of Broughton and Wake County Public Schools, this campaign is especially meaningful to us,” Crone said. “The education we received helped prepare us for our careers. It is incredibly rewarding to now use those careers to support the schools that will educate the next generation of Wake County students.”
The Vote Yes Wake Schools campaign officially launched September 2 during the Greater Raleigh Chamber’s Metro Metrics event. Campaign co-chairs Gary Greene, Dr. Jeronica Goodwin and Melanie Dubis joined business and community leaders to begin building support for the school bond on the November 3 ballot.
The proposed $680 million school bond would fund capital projects throughout Wake County Public Schools, including renovations and repairs to aging schools, replacement of critical infrastructure such as HVAC systems, safety and security improvements, capacity needs and new construction where needed. Wake County commissioners have also committed $152.3 million in pay-as-you-go funding to supplement the bond program.
The 2026 bond plan includes building three new elementary schools in growing areas, renovating and modernizing aging schools, replacing critical building systems like HVAC, roofs, and elevators, upgrading safety and security infrastructure, improving technology and accessibility, and removing outdated mobile classrooms.
“Broughton taught each of us the value of strong public schools, not only for individual students, but for the entire community,” Stephens said. “This campaign gives us the opportunity to help Wake County continue that legacy and ensure future students have safe, functional and effective places to learn.”
Over the next two months, the Vote Yes Wake Schools campaign will visit schools and communities across Wake County, highlight current facility needs, demonstrate what previous bond investments have accomplished and answer residents’ questions about cost and accountability.
For Crone, Stephens and Wallace, the campaign represents a unique full-circle moment: three Broughton graduates now working together on an initiative that could have a lasting impact on future generations of WCPSS students.
“We are proud to be Broughton alumni, and we are proud to support the school system that helped shape us,” Wallace said.
Learn more about the campaign at voteyeswakeschools.com and follow @yeswakeschools on Instagram and Facebook.