Attorney General Jeff Jackson Visits Dream Center Academy in Gastonia, Highlights Importance of Education Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, July 22, 2025

Email: bconroy@ncdoj.gov
Phone: 984-383-9038

Department of Education Froze Over $165 Million in NC Public Education Funding on June 30

RALEIGH – Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson visited Dream Center Academy (DCA) in Gastonia and met with students and teachers to highlight the importance of the more than $165 million in federal education funding at stake in North Carolina. On July 14, Attorney General Jackson sued the Department of Education to prevent the federal government from cutting funds for North Carolina’s schools.

“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.”

“The 21st Century Community Learning Grant is critical to the funding of DCA, providing 50 percent of its budget. DCA survives on gifts, grants, and God,” said Dream Center Academy Board of Directors Chair Marty Starnes. “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.”

Dream Center Academy (DCA) is a community learning center that helps middle and high-school students pursue academic and professional development through after-school and summer programming. In 2024, 100 percent of Dream Center graduating high school students graduated college and career ready. The program currently serves 175 students and their families, offering job shadowing, enrichment clubs, college-career planning, service projects, and instruction in reading, STEM, and the arts.

Last week, Attorney General Jackson sued the federal Department of Education for freezing nearly $7 billion in public education funding, including over $165 million for North Carolina, without warning. If these funds are eliminated, nearly 1,000 educators across the state could lose their jobs and rural school districts would be hit hard. Nine of the 10 school districts losing the most money per student are in rural North Carolina, and counties impacted by Hurricane Helene alone would lose roughly $18 million.

After the lawsuit was filed, the Department of Education announced last week that a portion of the funding that supports 21st Century Community Learning Centers, including Dream Center Academy, will be returned to the states. That totals about $36 million in North Carolina, with approximately $130 million in funding still frozen.

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