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The St. Paul Promise Neighborhood (SPPN), an initiative supporting low-income students and families at three schools near the state Capitol, is expanding its reach by now partnering with a fourth.

The move is being made possible by a $1 million grant announced last week by the Bush Foundation.

In recent years, the Promise Neighborhood has assigned community navigators to work with families to help parents find services they may need and to also strengthen their involvement at three schools: Maxfield Elementary, Jackson Elementary and St. Paul City School.

The Bush Foundation grant will allow the initiative to move across Interstate 94 to Benjamin E. Mays International Magnet School, and to launch a Hmong literacy program, as well.

"We're excited about what this funding means for SPPN children and families, and for the future of the Promise Neighborhood," Director Muneer Karcher-Ramos said last week.