FRANKLIN—Sixty-five S.P. Morton Elementary School students from low-income families have signed up for a free tutoring program.

The service will be paid for by federal funds and managed by Franklin Public Schools.

Associate Director of Instruction Beverly Rabil said staff members made 60 to 70 phone calls to parents of eligible students on Thursday in hopes of filling the 85 slots.

“I’m very pleased, and I know the building is too,” Rabil said. “It means we’re reaching the maximum we can serve.”

S.P. Morton is offering the service as a result of school-improvement criteria tied to federal Adequate Yearly Progress results. The parents sign contracts with a service provider for the private tutoring, but the school oversees it and makes sure that student achievement goals are met.

Those goals include passage of state and district benchmark tests in various subject areas.

Rabil said the division is not allowed to spend more than $1,515 per student. Fees range from $50 to $95 an hour.

The parent and provider decide on where the after-school tutoring will take place, but the district will offer S.P. Morton two days a week.

“We’re offering our location to them because some students are more comfortable meeting with a tutor there,” Rabil said.

Onsite tutoring would take place around 3:45 p.m.

The division hopes to begin the tutoring by Nov. 9.