Statements - Jefferson County Public Schools

Message
Chairman
The Jefferson County Public Education Foundation has provided valuable
financial resources and ongoing advocacy for the Jefferson County Public
Schools (JCPS) for 28 years. This complementary support has enabled our
school system to implement critical programs and initiatives while raising
the community profile of the fine work that is being delivered in our public
schools.
The economic landscape continues to offer significant challenges that have
an impact on families, students, and the school systems across the country.
These conditions only amplify the need for financial support. Despite these
difficult conditions, JCPS continues to make progress in a number of areas.
In fact, the work of the Foundation has added relevance given
our community’s attention to educational attainment, including
the recently announced 55,000 Degrees initiative. The Foundation
will be awarding a record number of high school scholarships
in 2011 to support this effort. This program shines
the light on the need for academic attainment and serves to
underscore the importance of education as it relates to the
future economic health of Louisville. This bold undertaking will
require that results improve at every level of the educational
spectrum as we strive, as a community, to reach some aggressive
goals. In turn, this makes the work of the Foundation
as important as ever.
James R. Allen
Chairman
Jefferson County
Public Education
Foundation
The Louisville community’s commitment to education and
spirit of collaboration were demonstrated on numerous occasions during
2010. Here are a few of many examples:
• Our Every 1 Reads initiative continues to have a positive impact on the
reading proficiency of those students in need of reading development.
Thousands of community volunteers have made an invaluable
contribution to the success of this program.
• The i3 innovations grant required a $1 million match. The Foundation
tapped its own resources while facilitating the fundraising effort which
allowed i3 to become a reality.
• Outstanding partnerships with the Rubbertown Business Association
and the Poplar Level Road Business Association helped produce
new playgrounds at Cane Run and Rangeland Elementary Schools,
respectively.
I want to personally thank the Foundation’s many benefactors for their incredible
support, which is truly making a difference in the lives of so many JCPS
students. Louisville is blessed to have so many individuals and businesses
that recognize and embrace the importance of public education. We remain
proud to call ourselves a foundation because we are deeply committed to
the long-term effort required to lay the groundwork for our community’s future.
I want to thank you again for being part of that work.
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