LAURINBURG — During the 2018-19 school year, Scotland County Schools began offering after-hours opportunities in the media centers at the elementary and middle schools, and now have seen a rise in numbers during the current year.
Sharon Castelli, the literacy project director for Scotland County Schools, spoke to the Scotland County Board of Education on Monday at the Committee of the Whole meeting about those numbers.
“Allowing the students to actually stay after school rather than getting on the bus to go home and then come back has helped a lot,” Castelli said. “In addition to providing some snacks.”
Last year the middle schools only had 50 students participate, but this year each has seen a growth — with Spring Hill reaching 82 students so far and Carver hitting 85. Sycamore Lane also saw a large increase in participation, going from 65 students to 185, and Wagram went from 86 students to 184.
Laurel Hill remained constant with 104 students participating, while I. Ellis Johnson doubled from 20 students to 46. There has been a huge dip at South Scotland, where last year 335 students had participated and this year only 14 have attended the after-hours program.
“Last year they had a tutoring opportunity where the students got to stay anyway, and this year they’ll be starting it up again with some EOG prep,” Castelli said. “That is why there’s a dip at South Scotland right now.”
Castelli also spoke to the board about working with the evaluation group to sustain and extend the grant beyond the original three years. Year three begins in October.
The BRICK grant helps support students from birth until age 18 and locally children have been given free books, little libraries have been set up across the county and all school media centers have been updated.
Reach Katelin Gandee at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com
