Schools in Dillon, S.C., to Get Nearly $40M in Federal Funding

January 27, 2010

The dilapidated schools in Dillon, S.C., which President Obama made into a symbol of the kind of problem his administration would improve, will receive $39.8 million in federal funding through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.

The schools got public attention when Obama twice visited Dillon during his campaign for the presidency. He then specifically highlighted the poor conditions at J.V. Martin Junior High during a speech to Congress last February. J.V. Martin was also featured in an article in Tuesday’s Washington Post.

Dillon’s three school districts will receive a $4 million grant and a $35.8 million loan to build two schools and renovate two others. After Obama’s speech, architects had designed plans for a new J.V. Martin, worth $55 million. The school is now set to receive about $20 million of the federal money.

"The dream school is probably still out of reach, but this is a great boost for us," said Ray Rogers, Dillon School District superintendent, after learning the specifics of the loan. "This is a big step in the right direction."