The Bibb County school system has received a $500,000 grant to help build a health center at an elementary school.

The federal grant, through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, will provide for construction and materials to build or renovate existing space at Ingram-Pye Elementary School for the center, according to a statement from the system.

Developing school-based health centers is one of the initiatives in school Superintendent Romain Dallemand’s “Macon Miracle” school improvement plan.

The health center at Ingram-Pye, located on Anthony Road, is expected to open during the 2013-2014 school year. It will provide physical and mental health services for the school’s students, their family members and the Macon Promise Neighborhood community around it.

The school system will partner with First Choice Primary Care to establish the services and provide medical staffing for the new facility.

Preliminary plans call for the school clinic to be located at the back of the school. The clinic will be connected to the school to provide day access for students. It will also have a separate, private entrance for family members after hours.

“A survey of our families showed us that 55 percent of children ages 0-5 do not receive medical attention from a regular provider, and those families told us that barriers to medical attention included transportation, difficulty getting time off from work, and a lack of knowledge,” said Ebony Harris, the Macon Promise Neighborhood executive director. “Working with the health center, our families will have better and easier access to medical care, a centralized and accessible source of information, and a staff dedicated to their well-being and future.”

Sonya Coley, the school’s principal, added, “The clinic’s presence on our school campus has the potential to improve the quality of life and opportunities for success for all who live in our school community.