Togetherness
With the start of the new year, the Eminence Independent Board of Education (above) became the Kentucky school board with longest-serving unchanged membership – 18 years. District personnel clerk and notary public Paula Fisher swears in Ben Coomes at right, who has 33 years continuous service; and Daniel Fisher, a 20-year veteran, to new board terms resulting from their re-election last November. Observing the recent board room ceremony are board members, left to right, Pamela Morehead-Johnson (18 years), Anthony Adams (22 years) and Brenda Chism (26 years).
Print-free month
Don’t wait around your mailbox for the March issue of the Kentucky School Advocate. In keeping with the practice of recent years, this is the issue tied to coverage of our annual conference, Feb. 24–26. To provide that information as quickly as possible, the March issue will be published only online.
Keeping a promise
Public schools in the Knox County, and Barbourville and Corbin independent school districts will receive extra services, thanks to a $6 million federal grant awarded recently to Berea College. The grant is renewable at that same rate for five years as long as Congress provides funding.
The college was one of six recipients nationwide of Promise Neighborhood grants from the U.S. Department of Education. The grants are aimed at providing educational supports and community-based services to meet the needs of children and families.
Berea College’s program, called Knox Promise Neighborhood, will serve 10,347 students in 25 schools in the three districts. It is built around four facets:
• Early learning and development – This will provide comprehensive interventions and services to families and early learning providers to ensure that children from birth to age 5 will be ready for kindergarten.
• Promise Schools – Fifteen of the schools will have this designation and receive services to enable them to help students successfully transition from high school to postsecondary education or careers.
• Family and school coordination – Parents of children from birth to 24 will receive assistance to support their children through high school, postsecondary education and career.
• Wellness and safety – The program will increase student and family knowledge about the importance of healthy eating and physical activity. Substance abuse prevention also will be integrated into the curriculum.
This latest grant builds on an earlier Promise Neighborhood grant Berea College received. That five-year grant, awarded in 2011 for improving rural Appalachian schools, benefited schools in Clay, Jackson and Owsley counties.
Spirited award
The Todd County school board last month was presented with The Spirit of Kentucky Award for its role in establishing the Todd County Career Path Institute. The award, presented on behalf of Gov. Matt Bevin by state Rep. Jason Petrie, is shared with Todd County Fiscal Court.
The Institute, funded by multiple public sources, provides training for students and adults in key regional workforce needs such as welding, program logistic controllers, electrical circuit training, robotics, hydraulics and pneumatics. It is the first of its kind in Kentucky.
The project is the culmination of the Todd County school board’s 30-year effort in pursuing resources to construct a technical training facility as Todd County High School vocational students commuted by bus an hour a day to the Russellville Vocational School.
The Spirit of Kentucky Award is given annually to sponsors of a public project that demonstrates cost effective coordination of government resources among multiple government groups.