Children in the Brookhaven School District will soon have safer walking access to school, thanks to a $100,000 grant obtained by city officials.

The Mississippi Department of Transportation recently handed out a check for the funds, which will be matched by an additional $20,000 from the city. The money will be used to repair existing sidewalks and add new walkways around Alexander Junior High School.

City officials – and particularly Alderman at Large Karen Sullivan, Brookhaven School District Transportation Director Eric Stokes, Alexander principal Roderick Henderson and WGK Inc. engineer Mike McKenzie, who put together the proposal – are to be commended for going after the grant for the project. The state funds will go a long way toward stretching local taxpayer dollars.

Proposed sidewalk additions will take place on stretches of Washington, Center, Turner, East Chickasaw, East Cherokee and/or Monticello Streets according to a map provided by WGK Inc., the engineering firm for the project.

“This is a good day for students,” Alexander Principal Roderick Henderson said when Southern District Transportation Commissioner Tom King presented the check to the city recently. “A good number of students walk to school and it’s important to us that they are safe coming and going,” the principal added.

As interim Superintendent of Education Stephanie Henderson noted, “This will encourage our kids to walk to school, which will help increase students’ health as well.”