Grant Would Help Local Students Study a "New Business Language"

Local high school students could be receiving instruction in Mandarin Chinese in the near future if a grant is awarded to the Vernon School system.

The Board of Education this week gave permission to school officials to apply for the federal grant.

Its duration is one year, but the school system would have an option to re-apply, school officials said. School officials said most of the instructors are granted a three-year visa bu the State Department so renewal seems liek a logical progression.

The grant is to fund a program to teach students a "critical language" or "new business language," like Mandarin Chinese and Arabic, school system officials said.

Vernon's grant would be for Chinese instruction, according to school officials. The course would liklely be offered as an elective for students inther world language curriculum, officials said.