RALEIGH – Halifax County Schools celebrated the grand opening of the new Eastman Leadership Academy in Enfield, a pre-K through 8th grade school built with money raised by the lottery.

Hundreds of Eastman students, alumni, and families gathered for the occasion, honoring the history of the original school built in 1894 and its continued legacy renewed for future generations.

"Today is more than just a ribbon cutting,” shared Halifax County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Cunningham during the ceremony. “It's a homecoming."

Charles Hedgepeth graduated from Eastman in 1981, the last high school class in the old Eastman. The school went on to become a middle school, where his youngest son graduated before closing in 2009. Now, the new school is ready to welcome three of Hedgepeth’s grandchildren starting in Pre-K, third and sixth grade this fall.

"I'm not a very emotional guy, but I get a little teary eyed,” shared Hedgepeth, a member of the Halifax County Schools Board of Education. “I'm glad to see this school."

Construction for the 101,00 square-foot campus totaled nearly $53 million, made possible by $48.5 million in lottery proceeds awarded as a needs-based grant for school construction.

Eastman marks the 45th new or renovated school to open with support from lottery-funded grants. There are now 62 counties that have received a total of $2.4 billion in lottery funds through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. The newly constructed Eastman exemplifies how lottery funds translate into tangible, community-changing investments.

“Look at what we've accomplished together,” shared Dr. Eric Cunningham, who helped envision the reconstruction project in 2017. “Thank you, lottery. Thank you.”

Education programs in Halifax County have received $151 million in support from lottery funds since lottery sales began in 2006. For details on how lottery funds have made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, visit www.nclottery.com and click on the “Impact” section of the lottery’s website.