CHARLESTON, W.VA. -- Elementary and special education students in Kanawha County could benefit from an extra $15.3 million in federal stimulus money, although at least one school board member has doubts.
Kanawha school board members learned at a meeting Monday that county Title I schools would receive $7.3 million in stimulus dollars over the next two years, while the county's special education department would receive an $8 million boost.
Pam Padon, Title I director for Kanawha County Schools, plans to use the money to buy computers, cameras, data projectors and other equipment and hire more staff at the county's 26 lowest-income elementary schools. The money would also be used to open new preschool programs at Belle, Bridge, Cedar Grove, Clendenin and Marmet elementary schools.
Sandy Boggs, the county's director of special education, plans to buy 210 laptops for special education teachers and hire school psychologists, nurses, aides and at least one preschool teacher.
The money could also be spent on eight "graduation specialists," who Superintendent Ron Duerring said would mentor and tutor struggling students to get them on a path to graduate.
Duerring cautioned that many of the new jobs that become available could be advertised as positions that will last just two years, because the stimulus money will cease in June 2011.
That's part of the reason board member Bill Raglin worries the new programs will be a waste and money will go down the drain.
Raglin believes that as the funding increases, state and federal education officials will expect students to reach even higher levels of achievement -- even though the federal funding for new programs and employees will dry up in two year's time.
CHARLESTON, W.VA. -- Elementary and special education students in Kanawha County could benefit from an extra $15.3 million in federal stimulus money, although at least one school board member has doubts.
Kanawha school board members learned at a meeting Monday that county Title I schools would receive $7.3 million in stimulus dollars over the next two years, while the county's special education department would receive an $8 million boost.
Pam Padon, Title I director for Kanawha County Schools, plans to use the money to buy computers, cameras, data projectors and other equipment and hire more staff at the county's 26 lowest-income elementary schools. The money would also be used to open new preschool programs at Belle, Bridge, Cedar Grove, Clendenin and Marmet elementary schools.
Sandy Boggs, the county's director of special education, plans to buy 210 laptops for special education teachers and hire school psychologists, nurses, aides and at least one preschool teacher.
The money could also be spent on eight "graduation specialists," who Superintendent Ron Duerring said would mentor and tutor struggling students to get them on a path to graduate.
Duerring cautioned that many of the new jobs that become available could be advertised as positions that will last just two years, because the stimulus money will cease in June 2011.
That's part of the reason board member Bill Raglin worries the new programs will be a waste and money will go down the drain.
Raglin believes that as the funding increases, state and federal education officials will expect students to reach even higher levels of achievement -- even though the federal funding for new programs and employees will dry up in two year's time.
"We're going to be out here dangling in the wind," Raglin said. "You think they're going to let us go back to where we were before?"
Boggs hopes "we have this problem in two years" to grapple with, because it would mean students had reached higher levels of achievement.
She also hopes to use stimulus money to work more closely with autistic students and teachers who deal with autism each day.
Also, school officials will employ three social workers to work directly with the county's more than 500 homeless students, Padon said.
Title I offers extra reading and math help to students, in addition to the regular instruction they receive during the school day. Some elementary students in Title I schools also receive after-school services, and more could get those now, Padon said.
Kanawha County technology director Becky Butler is unsure how much money her office is set to receive for new technology, but expects to know by July 2. School officials plan to buy new computers for students and laptops for teachers, and purge computers of outdated Windows 98 software.
Also Monday, board members recognized several award-winning school employees. They are: Teacher of the Year, Susan Duernberger, DuPont Middle School; Assistant Principal of the Year, Trecia Peterson, South Charleston High School; Educator of the Year, Fonda Lockhart, art curriculum specialist; Counselor of the Year, Brenda Cavendish; Special Educator of the Year, Alison Stevenson, Chandler Elementary; Service Employee of the Year, Jeannie White, secretary, St. Albans High School; special award, Cheryl Pauley, cook, Watts Elementary.
Reach Davin White at davinwh...@wvgazette.com or 304-348-1254.
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If the only local economy "stimulated" by those funds is whatever kickbacks Kanawha County board members can wring from from the vendors, then I have a common sense suggestion.
It'd be smarter and far more "stimulative" to invest all that cash into persuading lawmakers to raise taxes on Big Coal enough to properly pay teachers.
Because what good will all that equipment do students when there are no qualified teachers to run it?
http://tinyurl.com/cczxrc
Since state lawmakers remain unpersuaded by the study in which their own experts revealed the dire loss of qualified teachers in WV, that the "Stimulus" money could be put to a far better use.
Either match the lobbying effort of Big Coal and overcome its stranglehold on our statehouse or else shut down our education system altogether. Because that's exactly what Big Coal is striving for