FRANKLIN
The Virginia Department of Education has awarded grants upwards of $150,000 to two Franklin city schools and one in Southampton County. The grants are intended to fund 21st century community learning centers.

According to Charles Pyle, VDOE’s director of communications, the centers will provide students with tutoring, enrichment activities that complement regular academic programs, and literacy and other educational services to students before and after school, during school breaks, on Saturdays and during summer vacation.

The two Franklin schools that were awarded grants are S.P. Morton Elementary, which received $156,000 and J.P. King Jr. Middle School, which received $157,500. Southampton Middle School received $195,303 in community learning center grant funds.

Julie Grimes, communications manager for VDOE, explained that this is the second time Southampton Middle School has been awarded this particular grant, which has a three-year term. The school was first awarded the grant for its 2014-2015 school year, with 2016-2017 being year three. The two Franklin schools are receiving the grants for the first time.

Principals for each of the three schools were unable to be reached by press time.