ATTLEBORO - Former dropouts taking night school courses toward their high school diplomas will be getting a scholarship of sorts from a local bank.

Bristol County Savings Bank is donating $8,000 to the newly opened Attleboro Evening Diploma Program, which has enrolled about 30 students.

The school department, which had planned to finance the night school with revenues from a companion adult education program, had been several thousand dollars short.

The donation will enable the program to get off to a secure start, school administrators said.

Bank President E. Dennis Kelly presented the school department with a check for $18,000 Monday night - $8,000 for the night school program and another $10,000 for a "credit recovery" program that allows failing students to make up courses. Kelly said he was moved by a film clip of one of the night school students who addressed the school committee last month saying she was thankful for the opportunity to become the first high school graduate in her household.

"Hearing that student say how important the program was to her, you felt you really wanted to be a part of it," Kelly said.

Mayor Kevin Dumas joined Superintendent Pia Durkin in hailing the donation, which will help support one of several initiatives designed to encourage more students to finish high school.

Also announcing a gift to the school department at Monday's school committee meeting was the Attleboro Elks Lodge, which annually donates a dictionary to each third grader.

Elks representative David Springer said the program is supported by more than a million Elks members nationwide.

RICK FOSTER can be reached at 508-236-0360 or at rfoster@thesunchronicle.com.