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Funding for Grassy Plains expands opportunities

School District 91 has received approval for $10,000 in grant funding which will benefit the community of Grassy Plains.

School District 91 has received approval for $10,000 in grant funding which will benefit the community of Grassy Plains.

According to School District 91 superintendent of schools Ray LeMoigne, the funding comes from a School Community Connections grant and will allow the Grassy Plains Elementary Junior School to begin planning with the community for the development of a Neighborhood Learning Centre to be established at the school.

"We already have devoted space at the school for use by the College of New Caledonia to run adult programs and have been doing so for a few years now," LeMoigne said.

He went on to say, "We will be using the dollars to see what additional community services and programs are desired and which can be accommodated at the school to utilize space that is available."

"This will hopefully create a hub for complementary services in much the same way as has been developed so far at the Muriel Mould Neighbourhood Learning Centre in Burns Lake," he said.

LeMoigne said that the new secretary treasurer, Darlene Turner who officially started working as part of the School District 91 team last week, will be overseeing the funding and working with the new facilities manager and the principal of the school on all necessary arrangements.

"The funds are for planning and this will involve meetings in the community and some surveying of community services agencies and community members as well as the education community on the Southside," LeMoigne added.

"From this information gathering process a plan will then be developed and implemented," he said.

Ernie Mannering, director of instruction for School District 91 said the plans are now moving forward and a number of community stakeholder groups are involved in discussions for the project including Cheslatta Carrier Nation, the Southside Women's institute, Skin Tyee First Nation and the Burns Lake Public Library.

The project has a required completion timeline of Jan. 31, 2012, however Mannering added he expects the Neighbourhood Learning Centre to be completed well before the deadline.