Council denies Midway Elementary grant request for 100‑year celebration

Midway Town Council voted 2–1 on Jan. 5 to deny a grant request from Midway Elementary School for its April 25 100‑year celebration. The school had requested $6,882.11 to fund the event; the Grant Committee recommended limiting Town support to $1,570 to cover security and entertainment costs.

The request was presented to the Council by Town Manager Brock Hall, who said Principal Tracy Skinner provided additional financial information after the committee requested it. Skinner told the Council the event would be free to the community and that additional funds were being sought from two churches and the school's PTO; she added the school planned to give each student and staff member a commemorative T‑shirt and sell extras to raise PTO funds.

Councilor Keith Leonard said he was willing to support the committee’s recommended amount but not the full request. Councilor Berkley Alcorn said, “I did not feel it was a wise use of taxpayer money for a one‑day event, especially considering schools' financial needs for other things.” On a motion by Councilor Berkley Alcorn, seconded by Councilor Jackie Edwards, the Council voted to deny the grant request. Voting in favor of denial were Councilors Jackie Edwards and Berkley Alcorn; Councilor Keith Leonard voted against the motion.

The denial means the school will need to rely on the churches, the PTO and other fundraising to cover costs beyond security and entertainment. The Council did not adopt any partial funding at the meeting, and no follow‑up directive to staff was recorded.