Greene County Schools has received a $12 million grant to supplement $50 million in N.C. Education Lottery Funds it received for the construction of the new Greene Central High School.
The funding was announced on Feb. 27 during a visit by N.C. State Superintendent of Public Instruction Catherine Truitt. It was distributed through the state Department of Public Instruction's Needs-Based Public School Capital Fund and is among several grants announced recent to fund projects in Greene County, including wastewater infrastructure and animal shelter improvements.
The grant will provide additional funding for the construction of the new high school building, the school district said. In the fall of 2022, Greene County Schools announced it was among districts to receive a $50 million state lottery-funded grant for a state-of-the-art building.
This new building will replace the existing Greene Central High School, which was built in 1961, the district said. With the rising costs of materials and labor, the North Carolina General Assembly recognized the need for a supplemental grant and opened an application process in January for districts to seek up to $12 million in additional funding.
Greene County Schools was one of the first to receive the supplemental grant. According to Greene Central Principal Patrick Greene, the costs of the new building continued to increase, so the new funds will allow the district to avoid compromising on safety features and elements of design suggested by current students, such as more natural lighting through the addition of larger windows.
The additional funding will also allow students to benefit from improved STEM labs and CTE facilities, Greene said.
Students like Cameron Lane and Emily Brown have been involved in the project since the beginning and have provided input from the student body's perspective. Lane and Brown said they feel a sense of pride knowing their opinions are valued and will come to fruition for future family members to benefit from when they attend the new school.
Animal shelter grant
A $50,000 grant from the N.C. Department of Agriculture will allow Greene County Animal Shelter to make improvements to flooring and fencing and to paint at the facility.
The funds were among nearly $200,000 in grants awarded by the North Carolina Animal Shelter Support Fund and facilitated by the Animal Welfare Section of the Veterinary Division of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services. A news release said the upgrades are in line with North Carolina Animal Welfare Act standards.
“We are deeply thankful for this grant and the trust placed in us by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services," said Bennie Heath, chairman of the Greene County Board of Commissioners. "I also want to acknowledge our county staff’s hard work and dedication, whose commitment to animal services made this achievement possible. We are committed to utilizing these funds to upgrade our animal shelter.”
The Animal Welfare Section awarded a total of nine community shelters grants as part of the Animal Shelter Support Fund program, a news release said. All the funds will be used to help shelters improve their facilities to better comply with the Animal Welfare Act.
“Many local government-run shelters have been faced with staffing shortages, an increased number of animals from the community and limited funding for repairs,” said Agriculture Commissioner Steve Troxler. “The Animal Shelter Support Fund was once used only for emergencies from hurricanes and other natural disasters. I appreciate the change in legislation that allowed us to also award funding to shelters needing upgrades and other repairs. We know these funds will be beneficial to the shelters receiving them and help to better serve the animals in their care.”
Greene County's grant was among the largest of the nine. Robeson also got $50,000, Halifax got $36,500, Stokes got $25,000 and Washington got $12,500. Others ranged from 12,000 in Davidson County to $8,660 in Anson, $5,600 in Person and $3,500 in Rowan.
Applicants to the Animal Shelter Support fund had to submit copies of their AWS facility compliance report citing specific violations or a date and description of an incident and the damage incurred. Applications also included an itemized listing of the costs for which funding is sought.
The Animal Welfare Section inspects more than 900 facilities annually for compliance with the Animal Welfare Act, including local government-run shelters. Facilities receive unannounced inspections on an annual basis or more often if needed. More information on the Animal Shelter Support Fund and the Animal Welfare Section is available online at ncagr.gov/divisions/veterinary/aws.
Water/wastewater funding
Greene County was awarded $3 million in state funds recently for upgrades to the Maury Sanitary Land District wastewater treatment facility. The funds were among more than $5 million to Greene County communities from the State Water Infrastructure Authority's Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program.
County officials said the funding is a key step in enhancing local wastewater management.
“This grant is pivotal for improving our wastewater services in the Maury area, reflecting our commitment to public health and the environment. We thank the SWIA and our team for their support and dedication,” said Bennie Heath, chairman of the Greene County Board of Commissioners.
SWIA approved funding assistance including loans and grants on Feb. 20. Applicants will be notified of their funding awards by the NC Department of Environmental Quality's Division of Water Infrastructure with a letter of intent to fund. Funding in addition to the $3 million grant includes:
$150,000: Greene County Water AIA (drinking water and wastewater)$740,889: Greene lead service line inventory$43,240: Jason Water Corporation Greene lead service line inventory, lead line investigation study$237,318: Snow Hill AIA water (drinking water and wastewater)$208,000: Snow Hill AIA sewer $208,000 (drinking water and wastewater) $791,000: Walstonburg wastewater pumping station and sewer line improvement
SWIA also awarded funds to neighboring communities in Pitt County.
Ayden received $504,040 for lead service line inventory and $500,000 for Swift Creek sanitary sewer wastewater work.
Farmville received $633,850 for lead service line inventory.
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