Hard work and perseverance paid dividends for La Conner Schools ahead of the Labor Day weekend.

District officials learned Friday that their application for a 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant to support the Braves Club after-school program has been approved. Past proposals had not been selected.

The award recommends funding of up to $450,000 annually for five years, for a total of $2.5 million, a district news release states.

A final funding level decision is expected in mid-September.

“After three years of applying,” school board president Susie Deyo told the Weekly News Friday af...