VIDALIA — A local pro-literacy group will receive about $300,000 from the state to expand its programs and facilities.

The Concord Youth and Adult Association was granted $50,000 from the state general fund and was given $250,000 in capital outlay dollars during this year’s legislative session.

The funds will be used to rennovate the group’s existing facilities on Wilson Street, Concord Association tutor Josephine Webster said.

Part of that rennovation will be a restructuring of the old Vidalia utilities building, Webster said.

The old utilities building was donated to the group by the city, and its facilities also include several portable buildings.

Concord Association President Windell Millicks said the group has been in existence for about four years now, and its after school tutorial program averages about 50-60 students per session.

With the expansion, Millicks hopes to have room for about 80-100 students, he said.

Rennovations may allow as many as three new classrooms to be added to the facility, Millicks said.

One of the buildings will be used as a community resource center to host family literacy training and other such classes, Millicks said.

The second building will be rennovated into a computer learning center.

The center will hopefully have 25 computers between three classrooms, Millicks said.

Money put into the center is an investment in the future, Millicks said.

“If we’re going to continue growing into the future, we need to invest in our children,” he said.