Mayor Sherwin Rader and Pineville Schools Superintendent Michael White signed a joint resolution Monday night and resolved to make literacy a top priority of the school and the city. “Whereas the children the children of our community are our most precious resource, and whereas our children’s education is their key for success in life,” Rader stated, “…we, the Pineville School Board and the Pineville City Council do jointly resolve that we support the goal of having 90 percent of our students reading at or above grade level by the third grade.”
The foundation has been partnering with Pineville Elementary School to improve literacy levels in after-school programs since earlier this school year. The program will be advanced school-wide in the 2010-2011 school year and will provide materials and training to educators.
Linda Vincent, who wrote the program for the foundation, commended the school on the job they were already doing commenting that, “I just applaud Mr. White and Bobby Bennett and this wonderful school board. They’ve just been great to work with and really are committed.”
Mayor Sherwin Rader also joined the meeting to sign a resolution in conjuction with Superintendent Michael White to outline their dedication to improve reading skills in Pineville. The resolution, read by the Mayor, will work to encourage parents to read to children everyday from birth until age five, and improve teaching techniques for the Elementary school.
The program focuses on reading because the skill is vital to understanding other subjects. When the after-school program was implemented, three out of 10 third grade participants were reading at or above grade level. After a few months of using the program, the number has jumped to seven in ten.
Regional Coordinator Marc Harden remarked that he considered the program “crime prevention,” noting from an unnamed source that 75 percent of U.S. prisoners are only functionally literate.
Originally, the Elgin Foundation focused on providing medical and dental care to students, and only incorporated its educational initiatives in recent years. The dental program it offers provides free screenings and treatment to children with the permission of a parent or guardian. It will also be implemented in the coming year and will be working with local dentist Kathy Lefevers.
The Elgin Foundation was started by B.R. Thompson, an owner of several mines in Kentucky, Virginia, and Tennessee, as a way to give back to the communities that helped him build his business. The foundation’s aim is to “serve the under-served children of southern and rural Appalachia.”
The school board and superintendent were very excited about the program.
“You couldn’t buy better people,” said Superintendent Michael White of the foundation, “You couldn’t buy better resources. They have top-of-the-line materials…and the after-school program has been such a great success.”
Architect Bill Richardson reported that construction of the gymnasium project is going well and that the work of general contractor Doug Bingham and crew has been professional and impressive.
He also brought two change orders to the table regarding the gymnasium construction and football lighting making minor changes to the contracts and both were approved.
Pineville High School Principal William Keyes informed the board in his report that he had high hopes that his students did very well on this year’s state testing.
“I feel like they all worked at 100 percent,” said Keyes.
This year, the school offered an extended lunch period that included free time and the cafeteria provided a high-protein breakfast. School officials are confident that efforts will result in higher scores. Scores will be announced in September. Keyes also reported that, although missing a few members, the school’s band completed a successful concert and that drug testing (the school partners with UNITE to offer testing), will remain as scheduled.
Principal Bobby Bennett gave the board a list of what he considers to be the top ten accomplishments of the Elementary school this year. Among the highlights was the improvement of students thanks in part to programs provided by the Elgin foundation, and the success of Monday morning meetings that Bennett holds with his students.
In other official business, the board approved the following motions:
FY 2010-11 Tentative Budget
FY10 Audit
2010-11 Bell Whitley Contract
FY-2010 KETS offer of Assistance
2010-11 Tentative Calendar
SE/SC Cooperative
School Energy Managers Project, which promises to work to make the schools more energy efficient.
Summer Programs
Safe Harbor Program
Facility Use Request
Lorie Settles is a correspondent for the Middlesboro Daily News. Contact her via e-mail at correspondent@middlesborodailynews.com.
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