The town learned last week that it has been awarded a $307,000 grant to install new sidewalks to make routes safer for kids who walk to school. The streets that will get new sidewalks are Los Gatos Boulevard, Roberts Road and Winchester Boulevard.

"I am ecstatic. I'm happy for the kids of this town," said John Curtis, parks and public works director.

Specifically, the town plans to provide a continuous sidewalk along Los Gatos Boulevard by filling in gaps near Louise Van Meter Elementary School. The existing path for pedestrians is made of dirt, which doesn't work well for strollers or wheelchairs, said Mary Gillespie-Greenberg, administrative analyst for parks and public works.

Roberts Road will also get a new sidewalk near Fisher Middle School, and Winchester Boulevard will have a continuous sidewalk between Daves and Vineland avenues.

"That will greatly enhance the ability of families to walk their children to school," Gillespie-Greenberg said.

The application process for the grant began in spring, when parks and public works employees met with representatives from local school districts and the city of Monte Sereno to put together a proposal. A number of teachers, administrators and residents supplied letters demonstrating their support to make streets safer.

Also last spring, students from three classes at Fisher and Van Meter schools worked on art projects that illustrated the routes they took to school and the need for safe streets. These illustrations were included in the application submitted by the town.

"That combined effort obviously had to do with the success of this grant," Gillespie-Greenberg said. She noted that of the more than 420 cities that applied for grants, only 84 were approved.

The town does not know yet how much installation of all the sidewalks will cost, but it estimates the work to be about $341,000. The town will pick up the cost of whatever is not covered by the grant, minus Monte Sereno's contribution for the work done on Winchester Boulevard.

"We know this has been very important to the community," Gillespie-Greenberg said. "We're excited to move forward."