Charles Hedgepeth’s eyes welled with tears as he proudly stood in the newly built Eastman Leadership Academy — a school that’s united three generations of his family.
2026-09-27 04:54:09
A 1981 graduate from Eastman, Hedgepeth was in the original school’s last high school class. Eastman went on to become a middle school, where Hedgepeth’s youngest son graduated before closing in 2009. Nearly two decades later, the new school is ready to welcome three of his grandchildren starting in Pre-K, third and sixth grade this fall.
"I'm not a very emotional guy, but I get a little teary eyed,” shared Hedgepeth, a member of the Halifax County Schools Board of Education. “I'm glad to see this school."
Halifax County Schools celebrated the grand opening of the new Eastman Leadership Academy in Enfield, a pre-K through 8th grade school built with money raised by the lottery.
"Today is more than just a ribbon cutting,” shared Halifax County Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric Cunningham during the ceremony. “It's a homecoming."
Hundreds of Eastman students, alumni, and families gathered for the occasion, honoring the history of the original school built in 1894 and its continued legacy renewed for future generations.
The $53 million construction project was only possible because of our players. Money raised by the lottery helps award needs-based grants for school construction in North Carolina. In this case, Halifax County received $48.5 million in lottery funds to rebuild Eastman.
Not only is this a historic milestone for the community of Halifax, it also marks the 45th new or renovated school to open with support from lottery-funded grants. There are now 62 counties like Halifax that have received a total of $2.4 billion in lottery funds through the needs-based grant program. The new Eastman is one shining example of how lottery funds translate into tangible, community-changing investments.
“Look at what we've accomplished together,” shared Dr. Eric Cunningham, who helped envision the reconstruction project in 2017. “Thank you, lottery. Thank you."
Want to see how lottery dollars impact education in your own community? Visit the Education page of our website to find your county on the map.
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