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October 8, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Contact: Dr. Patricia Hollingsworth Chief Communications Officer pdhollingsworth@nrms.k12.nc.us State Superintendent Mark Johnson announces $141 million in school construction grants to 13 districts Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $141 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Anson, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Cherokee, Columbus, Martin, McDowell, Mitchell, Nash, Swain and Tyrrell counties. The grant awards will allow for construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed areas. “Through these grants, we will help address our state’s need to replace old, outdated schools with better learning environments,” Johnson said. “This is the second year these funds have been made available to benefit our students and educators who have had to deal with outdated facilities.” The fund was created by the General Assembly to assist school districts in lower-wealth counties through revenue from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Awards are capped at $15 million per project in Tier 1 (most distressed) counties and $10 million per project in Tier 2 counties. The law requires a local match of $1 for every $3 in grant funds in Tier 1 and $1 for every $1 in Tier 2. The fund was created to assist lower-wealth counties with their critical public school building capital needs. Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools (NRMPS) will receive $10 million for a new elementary school in the northern part of Nash County ($20 million total project cost). County applications were reviewed based on priorities provided in the law, including ability to generate revenue, high debt-to-tax revenue ratio, and the extent to which a project will address critical deficiencies in adequately serving the current and future student population. An emphasis was placed on projects that were far enough along in the planning process that construction could begin within 12 months. “I thank the General Assembly for making these funds available to help schools in areas that are most in need,” Johnson said. “I look forward to seeing these projects get under way in the coming months.” Superintendent Dr. Shelton Jefferies was thrilled to hear the good news. “Superintendent Mark Johnson and his staff reviewed and approved the NRMPS application for funding through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund,” said Shelton Jeffries. “The fund was designed to assist lower-wealth counties with public school building capital needs. NRMPS has been engaged in a yearlong public dialogue about the needs specific to our oldest buildings. These facilities are costly to maintain and are not aligned with 21st Century student needs.” “I wish to thank Superintendent Johnson and the General Assembly for providing this support to NRMPS. Also, I appreciate the collaborative spirit demonstrated by our Board of Education and Nash County Commissioners. I am especially proud of the leadership demonstrated by our Board Chairperson, Ann Edge, and Commissioner Robbie Davis. Commissioner Davis has been instrumental as an advocate and in ensuring that we drafted a competitive proposal for consideration.”
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State Superintendent Mark Johnson announces $141 million in school construction grants to 13 districts
Raleigh, NC - North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has announced that $141 million in grant funds from the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund will be awarded this year to school districts in Anson, Ashe, Caldwell, Caswell, Cherokee, Columbus, Martin, McDowell, Mitchell, Nash, Swain and Tyrrell counties. The grant awards will allow for construction of new school buildings in these economically distressed areas.
“Through these grants, we will help address our state’s need to replace old, outdated schools with better learning environments,” Johnson said. “This is the second year these funds have been made available to benefit our students and educators who have had to deal with outdated facilities.”
The fund was created by the General Assembly to assist school districts in lower-wealth counties through revenue from the North Carolina Education Lottery. Awards are capped at $15 million per project in Tier 1 (most distressed) counties and $10 million per project in Tier 2 counties. The law requires a local match of $1 for every $3 in grant funds in Tier 1 and $1 for every $1 in Tier 2. The fund was created to assist lower-wealth counties with their critical public school building capital needs. Nash-Rocky Mount Public Schools (NRMPS) will receive $10 million for a new elementary school in the northern part of Nash County ($20 million total project cost).
County applications were reviewed based on priorities provided in the law, including ability to generate revenue, high debt-to-tax revenue ratio, and the extent to which a project will address critical deficiencies in adequately serving the current and future student population. An emphasis was placed on projects that were far enough along in the planning process that construction could begin within 12 months.
“I thank the General Assembly for making these funds available to help schools in areas that are most in need,” Johnson said. “I look forward to seeing these projects get under way in the coming months.”
Superintendent Dr. Shelton Jefferies was thrilled to hear the good news. “Superintendent Mark Johnson and his staff reviewed and approved the NRMPS application for funding through the Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund,” said Shelton Jeffries. “The fund was designed to assist lower-wealth counties with public school building capital needs. NRMPS has been engaged in a yearlong public dialogue about the needs specific to our oldest buildings. These facilities are costly to maintain and are not aligned with 21st Century student needs.”
“I wish to thank Superintendent Johnson and the General Assembly for providing this support to NRMPS. Also, I appreciate the collaborative spirit demonstrated by our Board of Education and Nash County Commissioners. I am especially proud of the leadership demonstrated by our Board Chairperson, Ann Edge, and Commissioner Robbie Davis. Commissioner Davis has been instrumental as an advocate and in ensuring that we drafted a competitive proposal for consideration.”