Dr. Kelly Walton and Dr. Tiffany Sellers of the Zion Foundation presented an after‑school literacy partnership request to the Muscogee County School District, proposing programs at J.D. Davis Elementary, Lonnie Jackson Academy and M.L. King Jr. Elementary.

The presenters said Zion has provided school supplies, uniforms and holiday gifts in prior years and now wants to introduce a literacy‑centered after‑school program that includes wraparound family supports such as meals and referrals to a family resource center. "Because as you know, if children can read, they can learn," Dr. Walton said, stressing literacy as the program's sole instructional focus.

Walton told the board the foundation secured an initial award through the Division of Family and Children Services (DFACS) "to serve 36 students this academic year," with two schools receiving 18 students each. She outlined a phased plan to pursue additional grant funds and state licensing that would allow the program to capture per‑child funding caps and expand to about 100 students over several years, subject to successful grant applications and licensing.

Board members requested follow‑up on program alignment and data tracking. Member Lewis said district teaching and learning staff should review curriculum alignment with the Rollins Center work and asked Zion to provide a contact for follow up. The district agreed that the Division of Student Services will coordinate progress monitoring and data collection to show anticipated impact.

The presenters distributed a handout with program details; the foundation asked the district to help facilitate school partnerships. No formal board action was recorded at the work session; board members asked district staff to schedule an alignment meeting and provide a progress update in January.

Note on transcript inconsistency: the presenters referenced an initial DFACS award of $50,000 in one handout line and later the transcript includes a $5,050,000 figure. The foundation or district did not confirm the larger figure during the meeting; the $50,000 amount tied explicitly to serving 36 students is the most clearly stated number on the record and is reported here. The district and Zion Foundation should be contacted for definitive budget figures.