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For counties in western NC, the loss of this federal funding will matter

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Graham County. Caroline Parker/EdNC

On Jan. 3, 2025, Mark Lieberman, a reporter with Education Week, reported that the U.S. House failed to take up the Secure Rural Schools Act in December 2024 before Congress adjourned.

According to Lieberman, “For most of the last 25 years, the Secure Rural Schools Act has supplied hundreds of millions of dollars to counties where a large share of land consists of federally owned forests. Counties send a big chunk of that money to school districts for everything from paying teachers to replacing HVAC systems.”

Lieberman reports that the “U.S. Senate voted unanimously in November to extend the legislation for two more years” but the U.S. House “missed the end-of-2024 deadline.”

Even if the new Congress expedites the legislation, Liberman says “payments likely would arrive late.”

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Funding for counties in North Carolina in 2024

These federal funds were last distributed in April 2024, according to this website and press release.

Here you can see the national forest and number of acres by county. Click North Carolina on the left side of the webpage.

In total, North Carolina has more than 1.2 million acres covered by the act, and almost $1.6 million is at stake if the funding is not renewed, according to this federal data.

Twenty-six counties in North Carolina receive this federal funding, and 19 of those are in the Hurricane Helene federal disaster declaration. Graham County has the most to lose, receiving $180,505.61 in 2024.

CountyTotal Funding, 2024
Ashe$80.89
Avery$37,921.25
Buncombe$21,066.58
Burke$65,325.87
Caldwell$62,608.22
Carteret$37,327.74
Cherokee$157,910.67
Clay$94,113.45
Craven$65,333.42
Davidson$1,562.16
Durham$16.23
Graham$180,505.61
Haywood$69,848.33
Henderson$16,136.26
Jackson$102,788.88
Jones$47,314.12
Macon$176,449.44
Madison$74,599.69
McDowell$94,816.57
Mitchell$25,768.52
Montgomery$57,032.05
Randolph$13,615.73
Swain$23,315.12
Transylvania$75,537.65
Watauga$451.80
Yancey$56,875.02
Bold indicates the county is included in the federal disaster declaration for Hurricane Helene.

Lieberman notes “Congress’ support for Secure Rural Schools has shrunk significantly over time. In the early years, lawmakers allocated as much as $500 million a year. The most recent reauthorization allocated roughly half that amount.”

“Unlike many state and federal grants,” he writes, “Secure Rural Schools funds come without strings attached for districts.”

Here is a June 2023 report with more information about the Secure Rural Schools Act.

The impact on Graham County

EdNC has been following the impact of this federal funding in Graham County given its unpredictability.

The county is 291 square miles, and the population is 8,052, according to the Census Bureau.

Graham County map. Courtesy of Shaun Garrison, mapping director in Graham County

Local leaders estimate that the federal government owns 70% of the land in the county.

In 2016, when this federal funding was not reauthorized, Graham County lost $86,000 in revenue. This loss of funding impacted the low-wealth school funding formula for the district, with ripple effects for the county of $1 million.