News from December 29, 2005
issue
Par-4 joins
push for college funds
The Crittenden County Endowment for Excellence, established in
2003 as part of Madisonville Community College's Fulfilling the
Promise Gifts Campaign, has received its fourth major commitment
of the 30-month effort thanks to a $10,000 donation from Par-4
Plastics of Marion.
Par-4 joins Farmers Bank of Marion, Jim and Bonita Hatfield, and
Roger and Randa Simpson as contributors who have committed at
least $10,000 to the county-wide effort.
Par-4's gift increases the endowment's pledge total to $182,000
or 46 percent of the $400,000 goal; MCC hopes to have the $400,000
committed by Dec. 31, 2007. Included in the county total is part
of an existing college endowment that has been redirected to Crittenden
students.
In making the gift announcement, Par-4 president Joe McDaniel
stressed the local nature of the scholarship endowment and the
fact that no principle from gifts is ever touched.
"What better way to make an investment in our community and
at the same time create opportunities for our young people,"
McDaniel said. "Marion and Crittenden County have been so
good to me and my family. All of my family graduated from Crittenden
schools, so a scholarship program that is designated only to Crittenden
residents serves my friends and peers. This is something everyone
here who can should participate in."
For the 2006-2007 academic year, MCC expects to offer six or seven
$1,000 scholarships through the endowment.
The college hopes to have $23,000 available for annual scholarships
by May 2009.
Scholarship selections will be made in partnership between MCC
and Crittenden County Schools. For more information and pledge
details on the Crittenden County Endowment for Excellence, contact
John Peters at 824-8593.
Inter-district contract disparity
may affect Crittenden schools
It appears that Caldwell County may change its policy regarding
students who attend Crittenden County schools but live in Caldwell.
The Caldwell County School Board discussed the issue of inter-district
contracts during its regular meeting last week. The Princeton
Times-Leader reported that the Caldwell School Board took no action
on the issue, but did plan to look further into the situation
that has allowed 130 Caldwell residents to attend school in other
districts. Seventeen of those students go to school in Crittenden.
Meanwhile, only six Crittenden residents attend school in Caldwell
County.
Overall, there are just 39 students from surrounding counties
who attend school in Caldwell despite living elsewhere. That's
a difference of 91 students, which costs Caldwell County about
$350,000 to $400,000 in state ADA (average daily attendance) funds,
the Caldwell newspaper reported.
Crittenden County has open contracts with Caldwell, Union, Webster
and Providence school districts. In other words, students who
live in those areas may come to school here and vise versa. Crittenden
and Lyon are on a case-by-case contract and Livingston has put
a freeze on student swapping.
The Livingston School Board stopped the practice two years ago
when it was determined that there was a 15-student disparity between
Livingston and Crittenden schools. There were 19 Livingston residents
going to school here and only four Crittenden residents attending
school in Livingston County.
Al Starnes, director of pupil personnel for the Crittenden School
District, said there are various reasons students opt to attend
school in districts other than where they live.
For instance, he said, students who live in the Fredonia area
might be much closer to Crittenden than to Caldwell's school.
But most commonly it is teachers in this district who live outside
the county and prefer to bring their children here to school.
Also, there are sometimes personality conflicts that prompt students
to request a change in schools.
"There are any number of reasons for students to want to
come to Crittenden County and generally we're very pleased to
have them," Starnes said.
Even if the Caldwell School Board adopts a different policy regarding
inter-district contracts, students already coming to Crittenden
from Caldwell should not be affected, Starnes said. In those cases,
those students would be able to continue and graduate from Crittenden
County.
Caldwell County's greatest disparity is with Dawson Springs where
it's 62-4 with Dawson getting the greatest number of students.