Pattison's Academy gets matching grant

Pattison's Academy for Comprehensive Education has received a $44,343 matching funds grant from the S.C. Developmental Disabilities Council to help increase physical activity opportunities for students.

The new Charleston County charter school for students with severe disabilities will open in August, and it plans to serve about 30 students between kindergarten and eighth grade.

Money from the grant will be used for equipment, such as a sophisticated exercise cycle and a folding trampoline.

It also will help cover the salaries for a pediatric nurse practitioner and research assistant who will monitor students' safety and evaluate results associated with their increased physical activity.

"Pattison's Academy is very grateful for the opportunity South Carolina Developmental Disabilities Council has extended to us," said Cindy Dodds, a physical therapist and one of the school's founders.

"This is the largest grant we have been awarded, which will help to improve the lives of children with severe disabilities."