Lyman Allyn, charter school receive state grants

Hartford - The State Bond Commission Friday approved funding for several projects in southeastern Connecticut.

Here are three:

The Lyman Allyn Art Museum in New London will receive a $104,690 grant-in-aid to upgrade its heating/cooling system and repair flood damage that occurred last year.

"We're really excited," said Kathy Jacques, the museum's finance manager. "We had some flood damage in our auditorium, which is a very important space for us."

Westbrook will receive a $750,000 grant-in-aid to help finance the dredging of the town's inner harbor channel. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is providing an additional $680,000 for the project.

The Integrated Day Charter School in Norwich will receive a $242,516 grant-in-aid to pay mortgage debt. The money was authorized by the state legislature in 2005 to assist charter schools statewide. The Norwich school enrolls more than 300 pupils in pre-kindergarten through 8th grade.

"This relatively modest investment of state funds will help literally hundreds of school-aged children in the Norwich area - and their families - pursue the unique, popular and highly successful education available for the past 15 years or so at the Integrated Day Charter School," said state Sen. Edith Prague, D-Columbia.