RALEIGH – The North Carolina Education Lottery recently joined Edenton-Chowan Public Schools to commemorate the new John A. Holmes High School, a school rebuilt with nearly $50 million in lottery-funded construction grants.

The new John A. Holmes High School writes a new chapter in this school’s long history. The 147,000-square-foot school will serve approximately 600 students, grades 9-12, featuring specialized classrooms dedicated to Career and Technical Education such as agriculture, carpentry, culinary arts, health sciences and more — all on the same site that served generations of students in Edenton.

One Holmes graduate, Sonya Rinehart, went on to become principal of her alma mater. After serving students for three decades and seeing the reconstruction project to completion, she’s entering retirement with pride for the school.

“This building is not a replacement of our past, it is a tribute to it,” shared Principal Rinehart during a ceremony preceding an open house for the community.

The façade, facing Broad Street, resembles the colonial architecture of the original school built in the 1950s. On the opposite side, the student entrance leans more modern featuring the gymnasium and performing arts center.

Construction totaled nearly $85 million, made possible by $47.7 million in a lottery-funded needs-based grant for school construction.

“Without that funding, we would never have been able to provide this kind of education in a small, rural setting in Edenton,” shared Rinehart. “It is the one thing that has changed the trajectory of this entire town.”

Chowan is one of 62 counties to receive a total of $2.4 billion in lottery-funded grants through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund. So far, 100 schools across the state, including John A. Holmes, have benefited from this fund alone. From roof repairs and renovations to new construction, these projects exemplify how lottery funds translate into tangible, community-changing investments.

This year, the N.C. Education Lottery celebrated its 20th anniversary by raising an estimated record $1.14 billion for education. For details on how the $13 billion raised in total since 2006 has made a difference in all of North Carolina’s 100 counties, visit "Education" under the "Impact" section of our website.