Vernon, Chipley High receive grants

Vernon High School and Chipley High School are getting financial boosts from a charitable organization.

Vernon is receiving $50,000 in grants from the Fitzhugh and Essie D. Carter Education Foundation, while Chipley is getting $30,000. The funding help was announced during a Washington County School Board meeting on April 8.

“We are very grateful for the Fitzhugh and Essie D. Carter Educational Foundation as the monies received will support our annual Language and Arts Festival, our agriculture program, our library and our athletic programs,” Chipley High Principal Alicia Clemmons said when reached for comment after the meeting.

The Carter Education Foundation started in 2008 and gave their first award in 2009. The two schools have made previous donation requests from the Foundation.

This year’s contribution marks over half a million dollars the Foundation has given to the two high schools.

Other tidbits from the School Board meeting:

-A workshop will be held at 4 p.m. before the next regular meeting on May 13 to discuss the age range for substitute teachers and hiring and compensation practices for bus drivers. Board Member Cindy Johnson Brown brought up the issues and said younger substitute teachers may be too close in age to some students and that she heard bus drivers are not paid for training.

-School District maintenance employee Justin Yates was recognized for alerting a family in Vernon to a house fire, which they were then able to flee.

– Vernon Middle School’s Team Megalodon, who were recently in a regional underwater robotics SeaPerch competition in Pensacola, placed third out of 26 teams.

-United Way of Northwest Florida gave an overview of assistance they have helped provide students, including for clothing and an upcoming supply drive called Stuff the Bus.