Attorney General Jackson Tours Gastonia Program, Renews Call for Full Release of $165 Million in Federal Education Funds

RALEIGH, NC – North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson visited Dream Center Academy (DCA) in Gastonia on Tuesday, highlighting the critical importance of over $165 million in federal education funding currently at stake for North Carolina schools. The visit comes a week after Attorney General Jackson filed a lawsuit against the federal Department of Education to prevent the continued withholding of these vital funds.

"Programs like Dream Center Academy show us why this funding is so important," said Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "They're using these federal funds to help students learn and grow and stay safe when they’re not in school. I’m glad to see that the federal government says it’s giving states back the funding it unlawfully froze for programs like Dream Center Academy, and I'll keep fighting to make sure our state receives its full share.”

Dream Center Academy, a community learning center that provides after-school and summer programming for middle and high school students, relies heavily on the federal 21st Century Community Learning Grant, which constitutes 50 percent of its budget. "The 21st Century Community Learning Grant is critical to the funding of DCA," stated Marty Starnes, Chair of the Dream Center Academy Board of Directors. "The Board is working diligently on fund development, but the loss of these funds would severely cripple this incredible program, altering the program so that it would not be close to what it is today. Without the 21st Century Community Learning Grant, DCA could potentially cease to exist.”

DCA's success is evident in its 2024 graduating class, where 100 percent of high school students graduated college and career-ready. The program currently serves 175 students and their families, offering a comprehensive range of activities including job shadowing, enrichment clubs, college-career planning, service projects, and instruction in reading, STEM, and the arts.

Last week, Attorney General Jackson initiated a lawsuit against the federal Department of Education after it abruptly froze nearly $7 billion in public education funding nationwide, including over $165 million earmarked for North Carolina. This unprecedented move, made without warning, threatened nearly 1,000 educator jobs across the state and disproportionately impacted rural school districts, with nine of the ten most affected districts per student located in rural areas. Counties hit by Hurricane Helene alone stood to lose approximately $18 million.

Following the lawsuit's filing, the Department of Education announced last week that a portion of the frozen funding, specifically that which supports 21st Century Community Learning Centers like DCA, would be returned to the states. For North Carolina, this amounts to about $36 million. However, approximately $130 million in critical education funding for the state remains frozen, continuing to pose a significant challenge as schools prepare for the upcoming academic year. Attorney General Jackson reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring North Carolina receives its full share of the allocated funds.