Isle of Wight Academy has received a $1 million pledge from Smithfield Foods Inc., to be used for the school’s capital campaign and a scholarship endowment fund, school officials announced this week.

“We are so very grateful to Smithfield Foods and its employees for this generous pledge,” said Mike King, president of the IWA board of directors. “We take a great deal of pride in developing our students to their fullest potential by providing a quality program, and Smithfield’s pledge will also help us continue providing a quality facility.”

King said $800,000 of Smithfield Foods’ pledge would help pay for the school’s Early Learning Center, which will include six classrooms for preschool and kindergarten, and for renovations to the auxiliary gym. The new facility will provide permanent classrooms and will unify the auxiliary gym with the rest of the campus.

The remaining $200,000 will go to a scholarship endowment fund.

“It was an easy decision to take part in Isle of Wight Academy’s capital campaign, because we have long admired the school’s reputation for academic excellence,” said C. Larry Pope, Smithfield Foods’ president and CEO.

“Our company has a long tradition of supporting educational programs and initiatives in our local communities across the country, and we pledge that our support will continue as we enter a new era under the leadership of Shuanghui International Holdings Limited,” Pope added.