The 2016/17 Hardin County Leadership class started Education Day with a presentation from Hardin County Schools Public Relations Director John Wright and Superintendent Teresa Morgan.
Ms. Morgan discussed the newest State of Kentucky test scores and the accomplishments of the district.
The accomplishments include, but are not limited to:
- For the fourth consecutive year, HCS earned “proficient” status in the data released by the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) in the Unbridled Learning Accountability Model.
- All three HCS high schools (Central Hardin High School, John Hardin High School and North Hardin High School) earned a “distinguished” status for the second consecutive year. All three high schools are now ranked in the top 10 percent in the state of Kentucky.
- Other notes of emphasis include East Hardin Middle School is also “distinguished” school. Other “proficient” schools are Creekside Elementary, Howevalley Elementary School and Rineyville Elementary School. Vine Grove Elementary was also named a distinguished/progressing school.
Ms. Morgan discussed her love for being in the schools daily and her very hands-on approach in her new role as Superintendent.
Hardin County Schools “Make it Count!”
After lunch, we had the privilege of visiting Panther Academy. This is a relatively new facility that houses the Pre-School and Kindergarten classes of Elizabethtown Independent Schools. This set up allows younger students to become comfortable with school while keeping them in a building with students their same age. One great benefit they offer the students is the opportunity to enjoy and indoor/outdoor playground. This allows students to enjoy outside recess while still being completely enclosed within the safety of the building. Think of it kind of like an enclosed courtyard. Kids get to enjoy the outdoors, and parents feel safe knowing that their precious children are secure. Once we toured Panther Academy, we had the opportunity to visit Elizabethtown High School and learn of the Pathways that are provided to the young adults. This curriculum allows students to try their hand at the preferred career interest before parents “fork out” all the money for college, just to learn that maybe this isn’t what the students imagined themselves doing for the rest of their lives.
Last but not least, we ended the day at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. Mary Jo King, the Public Relations Director, gave our group an overview of ECTC offerings for their students and community and also gave our group a tour of the facilities and some of the programs.
ECTC has been in existence for 52 years and was formally known as ECC, Elizabethtown Community College. They offer up to 53 Bachelor degrees along with many Associate degrees. WKU, Western Kentucky University, also has a campus co-located with ECTC and works with them on offering their Bachelor degrees, some from the Elizabethtown campus and others online. There are various other offerings from ECTC, which include but are not limited to:
- Nursing Programs with Hardin Memorial Health
- Work/Learn Technical Programs, for example with LG&E
- Dual Credit programs for high school students
- Recently opened Veterans Center of Excellence for veteran students
We also were given a presentation by Janay Sutton from the Hardin County Schools Family Resource & Youth Service Center. In a nutshell, what FRYSC does, said Janay, is…“help ALL kids get whatever they need.” That could be anything from free lunches to abuse help to academic help to health/dental needs to parent training. The center strives to address any and all basic needs of children.
Heather Strain
Branch Manager
100 Dixie Hwy
Radcliff Financial Center
Radcliff, KY 40160
Phone 270-351-3123
Fax 270-352-4448
heather.strain@pnc.com
Kristy Mays
Account Executive
Kerr Office Group
117 North Main Street
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
Phone: 270.300.0413
kmays@kerrog.com
Dale A. Wilcox
Director – IS
Communicare Inc.
107 Cranes Roost Court
Elizabethtown, KY 42701
(270) 765-2605 x1957
dwilcox@communicare.org
