Board divides $80,305 to those in need

By Bayne Hughes
hughes@decaturdaily.com · 340-2432

The Decatur school board allotted the required 20 percent of its state At-Risk grant funds to student welfare programs, teen pregnancy program and student bereavement.

Decatur gets $401,523, and had to divide $80,305 among community-supported groups.

Austinville and West Decatur elementary schools' Family Assistance Through Community Ties, a program that focuses on helping students and parents overcome physical, mental and other community issues, gets $61,610.

Parents And Children Together administers this program.

The Mental Health Center of North Alabama will get
$6,737 for a FACT program counselor.

Another $6,597 will go to the Teen Parents as Teacher dropout prevention program.

Hospice of the Valley will receive $5,361 for a student bereavement support program.

State Sen. Arthur Orr, R-Decatur, presented the school system with $15,000 for Somerville Road Elementary School's FACT program.

Somerville Road FACT

A federal grant supports the Somerville Road FACT program, but that money runs
out at the end of the first semester.

Superintendent Sam Houston said this money would keep the program operating through the end of the school year.

Houston said the school system would then need additional money to continue funding Somerville Road's program.

"Ideally, we'd like to have enough money to put a FACT program at all of our Title I elementary and middle schools," Houston said.

Orr also presented the school board with $7,500 each for Austin and Decatur High Schools for high-tech projectors.

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