Lottery dollars build new schools for the new school year

The back-to-school season looks and feels different for some North Carolina students as they enter brand new schools funded with the help of the North Carolina Education Lottery.

 When elementary and middle school students in Winfall returned from summer break, they entered the new Perquimans Intermediate School built with more than $40 million raised by the lottery.

About 100 miles away, high schoolers in Snow Hill are kicking off their school year in the new Greene Central High School. With the support of $50 million in lottery proceeds, the new campus replaces a 65-year-old building.

“I should also thank everyone here and beyond who has ever bought a scratch-off ticket, shared Greene County Schools Superintendent Dr. Rodney McNeill. “You may not have won a jackpot – but you did help to build a high school.”

Thousands of students and educators in North Carolina made history on the first day of school, marking the inaugural academic year in their brand new buildings:

• Public Schools of Robeson County opened the state-of-the-art Robeson CTE Center using $59.7 million in lottery funds. 
• The new Hoke County High School opened in Raeford, replacing modular classrooms with a modern 139,000 sq.ft. building thanks to nearly $48 million in lottery funds.
• Pamlico County Schools welcomed middle and high school students to a combined campus funded with $50.5 million from the lottery.
• Bertie High School expanded its new CTE Center thanks to a $15 million needs-based grant.
• Edenton-Chowan Public Schools unveiled the new John A. Holmes High School, built with $47.7 million from lottery funds. 
• Halifax County Schools opened the Eastman Leadership Academy for pre-k through 8th grade students, funded with $48 million from the lottery.
• Beaufort County Schools opened the new Washington Elementary School for pre-k through third-grade students using a $42 million lottery-funded grant.

Meanwhile, more than 20 lottery-funded construction projects continued progress across the state, including: 

• Ashe County Schools held a topping out ceremony for the new Ashe Middle School, supported by $50 million in lottery funded grants.
• Graham County Schools broke ground on the future Robbinsville Elementary School, a project supported by a $42 million lottery-funded grant.
• Rockingham County Schools also broke ground on a new campus for Reidsville Elementary School, with the help of $42 million raised by the lottery.

Playing the lottery in North Carolina means playing a part in these community-changing investments. Each of North Carolina’s 115 districts has received school construction money every year since the lottery began in 2006. Lottery dollars also give four-year-olds a head start through NC Pre-K, help pay for school support staff and transportation, and support the Next NC Scholarship to make college more affordable for North Carolinians.

Thanks to our players, estimates show record sales and return to education last year as earnings topped $1 billion for the fourth year in a row. The legislature directs how money raised by the lottery will be spent to support education programs in all 100 counties. Want to see how you’re helping education in your own community? Visit the Education page of our website to find your county on the map.

See how your play makes a difference  in the video below!