Grand Rapids Public Schools hopes to be among the first districts in Michigan to receive new state grant money to fund smaller high schools.

The district plans to submit applications Friday, 24 Hour News 8 has learned.

Governor Jennifer Granholm laid out the grants in her State of the State address this year, saying smaller high schools will foster better educational outcomes thanks in part to closer relationships between students and instructors.

GRPS wants to use the money for its health sciences small high school inside the Central High buliding, the GRAPCEP engineering and biomedical program inside Creston High and the new Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy (GRUPA).

The district will first seek programming grants to help run the existing schools and hopes to later apply for capital grants to help fund the renovations of the district’s high school buildings as part of GRPS’ Phase II building improvement plan.