Governor Cooper Tours Surry County School and Delivers Governor’s School Supply Drive Donations | Eastern North Carolina Now

Press Release:

    RALEIGH: Today, Governor Roy Cooper toured Cedar Ridge Elementary School in Lowgap and delivered supplies collected from the Governor's School Supply Drive. The Governor recognized the 2023 North Carolina Principal of the Year Donna Bledsoe and visited several classrooms to speak with students, teachers and support staff. He thanked educators for their dedication to helping students learn and grow.

    "Public schools are critical for the progress of our state, and Cedar Ridge Elementary School is helping children grow, learn and succeed," said Governor Cooper. "Instead of billions of dollars of funding for private school vouchers where rich people can get taxpayer money to keep their children in private academies, we should invest in our public schools."

    "We are deeply honored to have Governor Cooper visit our school and support our students in such a meaningful way through his donation of school supplies," said 2023 Wells Fargo NC Principal of the Year Donna Bledsoe. "His dedication to education, along with his commitment to ensuring that all students have access to the resources they need to succeed, is admirable. Additionally, I am grateful for his time spent engaging with our classrooms and recognizing me as the 2023 Wells Fargo North Carolina Principal of the Year. His visit has truly been an inspiring and memorable experience for our school community."

    "As a public educator, I am proud to showcase Cedar Ridge Elementary School students, our teachers, and our Principal of the Year, Mrs. Donna Bledsoe, to the Governor of North Carolina," said Surry County Schools Superintendent Dr. Travis Reeves. "Governor Cooper could be anywhere in the state today, and he has chosen to be in Surry County, helping to highlight the work of Principal Bledsoe, Cedar Ridge Elementary School, and Surry County Schools. His personal delivery of school supplies demonstrates his dedication to our students' success. This act of kindness exemplifies the collaborative spirit that defines our educational community. Together, we are nurturing the minds of our future leaders and ensuring that every child has the tools they need to thrive."

    The Governor's School Supply Drive ran from July 24 to August 18, 2023. As in past years, the State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) and Communities In Schools of North Carolina partnered with the state to collect and deliver the school supplies to classrooms. On average, teachers spend over $500 of their own money on supplies for their classrooms each year.

    Donation bins were located in all State Employees' Credit Union locations across the state. North Carolina residents contributed by dropping off items at a SECU location or by organizing their own drive at their workplace.

    Governor Cooper first held the Governor's Annual School Supply Drive in 2017 to provide school supplies to help support families, schools and communities across the state. Governor Cooper's cabinet members and volunteers with Communities In Schools of North Carolina and VolunteerNC are helping to distribute the supplies to public schools across North Carolina. Paper, pens, pencils, notebooks and sanitizing wipes are among the supplies that are being delivered to schools across the state as part of the annual drive.

    The Governor's proposed budget invests substantially in public schools and a sound basic education required by the constitution for every student by providing an average 18% teacher raise over the biennium and including funding to help hire more educators, nurses, counselors, social workers, school psychologists and turnaround coaches. Governor Cooper is urging the state legislature to do their jobs and pass a state budget that invests in public schools, students and teachers.

    In September 2023, the Governor announced an $8 million investment to NC Pre-K classrooms to help address classroom needs for the school year. This funding can be used for upgrading 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.

    In August 2023, the Governor announced a $1 million investment to help tackle North Carolina's school bus driver shortage crisis by allocating $1 million in federal funding to the Division of Motor Vehicles in the North Carolina Department of Transportation to enhance school bus driver training capacity.

    Cedar Ridge Elementary School is a Pre-K through 5th grade school in Lowgap. Cedar Ridge Elementary School has two NC Pre-K classrooms.


    Contact: Sam Chan

    Phone: (919) 814-2100  •      Email: govpress@nc.gov