Happenings Up in Greene County

Greensboro Elementary School honored as 2010 'No Excuses' School


Greensboro Elementary School was one of 35 schools from 19 school systems across the state designated as a 2010 "No Excuses" School by the Georgia Public Policy Foundation.


The selection of No Excuses schools is based on the Foundation's 2010 Report Card for Parents, which is available at http://gppf.org/pub/edrc2010.htm. A No Excuses school has a poverty rate above the state average of 51 percent, meets Adequate Yearly Progress as defined by the No Child Left Behind law and has a Poverty Indicator of 2 or above on the Foundation's Report Card for Parents.

These schools are highlighted for demonstrating the positive effect of highly motivated, highly qualified, dedicated teachers, dynamic school leadership and high expectations for all students.

Said Kelly McCutchen, president of the Georgia Public Policy Foundation:

The leadership and faculty in these schools know that a good education is the difference between a childhood of poverty and a lifetime of poverty. They demand academic achievement, they accept no excuses and they're rewarded with student success.

Last year's No Excuses list totaled 44 mentions; in 2008, 42 were mentioned. This year's Report Card for Parents ranks 1,219 elementary schools based on third grade test scores, 1,212 elementary schools based on fifth grade test scores, 507 middle schools based on eighth grade test scores and 357 high schools based on End-Of-Course-Test scores and graduation rates.


Because there is a strong link between poverty and test scores (the higher the poverty rate, the lower the test scores), the report includes two other criteria for information purposes only. The first is the poverty rate - the percentage of students in each school who qualify for the federal free/reduced-price lunch program. The second is a poverty index that measures how well a school is performing relative to its poverty rate.


The Georgia Public Policy Foundation, formed in 1991, is a nonpartisan, member-supported research and education foundation that promotes free markets, limited government and individual responsibility.




GREENE COUNTY AG BOARD GETS ITS OWN BUDGET




After several weeks of debating on how to handle the finances of the Greene County Arena, the Greene County Board of Commissioners finally came to a decision during Friday's work session retreat.


The board will establish a standing budget adjustment to account for the revenue brought in by the arena. The budget adjustment will allow for the money made to be moved into the line item set up for the arena. Up until this point the arena hasn't had its own budget.


If something was needed for the arena the Ag Board would have to come before the BOC and request the funds. Now with an official budget set up the Ag Board will simply have to fill out a purchase order to get the funds needed. This should make the process easier for everyone involved.


BOC Chairman Dene Channell, whose brother is State Rep. Mickey Channell (R-Greensboro) began discussions about ag board member Charles Crumbly being reimbursed for his time and donations to the arena. Crumbly has made purchases for the arena out of his own pocket and dedicated hours of work to getting the arena in top condition.


After deliberation about what should be reimbursed and what was a donation, the board decided to reimburse Crumbly $290 for his work during events scheduled in April and May.


From this point on anyone who does work at the arena will be paid out of the new arena budget line item.


Its easy to say the Channell Family Contols Greene County