Three Pike County schools were among only 200 to receive $2,000 grants to beautify their school campuses and their communities.

Goshen Elementary School is going to use the money to build an outdoor classroom according to Deana Elmore, a sixth grade social studies and science teacher at the school.

“The outdoor classroom will allow us to do extensions through the 4-H office and more with our STEM labs,” Elmore said. “It’s going to be like a living classroom outdoors.”

Elmore said the classroom will be open to all grades and the community.

Out of the 200 schools selected to get beautification grants, 21 will get the honored distinction of being an Alabama Bicentennial School of Excellence.

Superintendent Mark Bazzell congratulated his schools on getting the grants.

“I’m excited that our faculty and staff took the time to apply and are doing those projects at the schools,” Bazzell said. “It’s a great opportunity to participate in those projects.”

Goshen High School will also be getting a project funded at their campus that will put the focus on an endangered flower.

“We’ll be taking the Tatarian Daisy, which is indigenous to Alabama and has a really low population, and growing them in our greenhouses and distributing them throughout the community,” said Tony May, assistant principal.

The flowers match the school colors of Goshen – purple and gold. The school will also be creating a plaque with the history of Alabama and the flower and how it represents the state.

Shantell Rouse, principal of Banks School, said they will use the funds to plant flowers around Banks Town Hall and beautify that area.

Troy Elementary School, although they did not receive a grant, is also going to be participating in the celebration.

All four of the schools received a bicentennial flag that they will be prominently displaying during the celebration.

The Alabama Bicentennial celebration will be held throughout 2019.