Andalusia City Schools students in grades K-8 will have the opportunity to participate in an after-school program, beginning next semester, thanks to a $600,000 grant.

The school system received the competitive 21st Century Learning Grant for $200,000 per year over the next three years.

“We’re excited about that,” Superintendent Ted Watson said. “We are pleased to partner with the city for this project.”

Watson said the system applied unsuccessfully for this grant more than once.

“If it means getting the grant now, given the plan we have in place, it was worth not getting the grant then,” he said.

Students will be bused to the Woodson Learning Center (currently Andalusia Middle School) for the after-school activities, which will include greenhouse gardening, archery, cooking,

Sewing, foreign language, and academic teams.

Caitlyn Shipman will be the program director.

It is expected that two site coordinators and one bus driver will be hired for the program.

Registration information will be sent home with each student closer to January.

Andalusia City Schools was among 155 grant applicants, only 55 of which were funded. The only other county grant went to W.S. Harlan School.

“We are excited about finding a use for the building,” Watson said. “Any time you move into a new building and find a use for the old building, that’s called growth”

Andy Wiggins, director of development for the city, said the city already has secured grant funding to through Alabama’s Forestry Service to build an archery range. The city’s match will be in-kind labor, he said.