Lone Oak Middle School receiving $675,000 grant

View original at paducahsun.com

By JASON MORROW jmorrow@paducahsun.com

Lone Oak Middle School is the latest McCracken County school to be awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant, which will total $675,000 over five years for before- and after-school programs.

Principal Brent Buchanan said he was excited about receiving the grant.

"Anything that brings more opportunity to our students is exciting for us," he said.

The programs offered through the grant will be open for all students at Lone Oak Middle School, though Cheryl Moore, the district program director, said it was a good opportunity for students who aren't doing well in school.

"We target students that are at risk," Moore said. "We're trying to bridge that gap in student achievement."

The before- and after-school programs will vary throughout the year and offer classes or "clubs" such as cooking, dodge ball, archery or even jewelry-making.

Moore called this invisible learning.

"One of the main things is that the kids love the program," she said. "They don't know they're learning, all they know is that they're having a good time."

For instance, students might be in the cooking club, but they are being taught how to measure and pay attention to details.

Additionally, there will be a chance for students to have homework assistance in classes that might be a struggle.

The grant is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Education and administered through the state. The $675,000 will be dispersed over five years.

For the first three years, the school will get $150,000 per year, then $125,000 for the fourth year and $100,000 for the fifth.

All of the money must be spent each year and can be allocated only for specific parts of the program under strict guidelines.

Not all students will be able to attend for free, though Moore said no student would be turned away. She said students and their families will pay based on a sliding scale of specific needs.

The reason for the fee would be sustainability.

"Federal funding is eventually going to run out," Moore said. "That's why we have to have sustainability of the program."

She said the school will partner with various businesses and volunteers throughout the community to help offer various classes for students.

Each month, a calendar will be sent out to all students about the upcoming programs so they can sign up for what they wish to attend.

As part of the requirement for the grant, the school will offer four family activity nights, which Moore said was in the planning stages. Some of the classes might involve how to work with a student when a parent may not know English, or how to look for a job.

"We're working on some really exciting things for the fall regarding families," Moore said.

Lone Oak Middle School is one of seven McCracken County schools with a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant. The other schools are McCracken County High School, Heath Middle School, Reidland Middle School, Reidland Intermediate School and Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary.