Selma and Dallas County schools received a ray of sunshine recently during the grim economic conditions.

State Rep. Darrio Melton (D-Selma) announced $32,000 in education community service grants for the two systems, which were distributed over the past week.

Selma City Schools superintendent Dr. Don Jefferson said the grants were a breath of fresh air for the schools they will benefit.

“It is greatly needed,” he said. “These funds can be used for textbooks, supplies, or whatever the administrators deem necessary. I know they will be put to good use because there are too many things out there our students need.”

The grants are divided up among each school. Jefferson said schools in the city system received between $800 and $2,000.

The money, Melton said, will allow teachers and administrators to purchase items they might normally go without.

“Education community service grants are distributed as a way to help community schools purchase much needed supplies,” he said. “Teachers are able to buy items for their classrooms such as pencils, paper, notebooks, and other supplies so that students can have a more positive, stress-free learning experience.”

Budget cuts, Melton said, present systems with greater challenges than they have seen in many years.

“Schools all over the state have been inundated with budget cuts, bigger class sizes and fewer resources,” he said. “It is an honor to be able to give these grants to teachers to be used in ways that directly benefit students.  It is a step in the right direction, and we all need to do our part to help teachers provide a world class education for our kids.”