RALEIGH —North Carolina Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper announced Sept. 13 he would be releasing $8 million in federal funding to support the state’s pre-K program.
The money will come from the federal Emergency Assistance for Non-Public Schools (EANS) funds that have reverted to the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) fund, per the governor’s press release.
Cooper said he was releasing the funds because “we are still waiting on Republican legislators to pass a budget that makes meaningful investments in public education.”
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services will distribute the funding. Each of the 2,098 classrooms across the state will get around $3,860.
The money is a “one-time special allocation” a pre-K provider can use to upgrade classroom materials, toys, supplies, playground equipment, supplemental curriculum materials, ongoing facility maintenance needs, mental health support for children and staff, professional development for staff, and other needs.
Earlier this month, Cooper announced $1 million in funding to the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles for bus driver training to alleviate bus driver shortages in the state. That money was also allocated from federal funding that has reverted to the GEER fund.
