Thanks to your play, $302 million to build new schools

Nine North Carolina school districts will share $302 million for school construction, renovation projects, and other capital improvements through state grants funded by the lottery.

This grant funds projects that will ensure kids get to go to school in safe, modern environments ideal for learning.

A substantial portion of the money raised by the lottery this year will help build new schools and repair older ones. It’s great that our state lottery proceeds make this $300 million investment in new schools possible. These new schools will serve families and their children for years to come and we look forward to seeing them open soon.

Counties receiving the grants, announced Wednesday by the state Department of Public Instruction, are:

• Alleghany County: $47 million for a new high school that will replace the district’s only existing high school.
• Cherokee County: $50 million for a new high school that will replace three existing high schools.
• Gates County: $9.8 million for additions and renovations to Gates County High School.
• Greene County: $50 million for a new high school that will replace the district’s only existing high school.
• Halifax County: $50 million for a new 6th through 12th grade school for Weldon City Schools that will replace two existing schools.
• Hyde County: $8.3 million for additions and renovations to the Mattamuskeet pre-K through 12th grade school.
• Pamlico County: $50 million for a new 6th through 12th grade school that will replace two existing schools.
• Perquimans County: $36.9 million for a new 3rd through 8th grade intermediate school that will replace two existing schools.
• Tyrrell County: $350,000 for a new Career & Technical Education center that will serve the high school and early college.

Over the last six years, grants like these add up to nearly $1.2 billion dollars to local school districts all across our state, providing funding for 69 new K-12 construction projects, including 39 new schools, 10 new buildings, and the replacement of 55 existing schools.

The grants are in addition to monies all 100 counties get to help with school construction and repair from two other state funds supported by the lottery.