Six counties get $73 million to build new schools

Every dollar played on lottery games helps to raise money for education. That play has paid off for six North Carolina counties that will receive $73 million in grants to help build new schools.

The grants are part of a state program designed to help small, rural counties build new schools. This year:

• Camden County will receive $10 million to build a new $33.3 million Camden County High School that will also house Camden Early College High School.
• Graham County will receive $3.2 million to help cover the costs of a $4.2 million addition to Robbinsville Middle School along with renovations to provide space for sixth-grade students.
• Hertford County will receive $15 million to build the new $20 million Ahoskie Elementary School.
• Northampton County will receive $15 million for the new $34.7 million Northampton High School.
• Rutherford County will receive $15 million for a new $35 million Rutherford-Spindale Middle School to replace the current 94-year old school building.
• Wilson County will receive $15 million help with a $20 million expansion of the Wilson County Schools Early College of Applied Technology Academy, moving the Academy’s high school location from shared space in an existing high school to a new 75,000 square foot facility on the Wilson Community College Technology campus.

This map shows the locations of the six counties that just received awards as well as the 15 others that received grants previously.

Over the last three years, $242 million in grants have been awarded. Those grants will result in 22 new schools or buildings and the replacement of 32 schools, including one that is a century old.

All of the money raised by the Education Lottery goes to support education programs in our state. All 100 counties benefit. You can learn how the money helps your county here.

Counties can get help in one of two ways with building and repairing schools. Each county gets a share of money raised by the lottery based on student enrollment to build and repair schools. Many use those funds to pay back money borrowed to build new schools. Counties that are considered to be “low-wealth” counties because of their size, population, and tax base can also get extra help with building a new school.

Thanks to you, our players, the lottery has been able to increase the amount of money it raises for education to more than $700 million a year. It’s great that you can see the benefits with new schools under construction all across our state.