Schools get bonus from state funds

By Staff
Leada Gore FCT Staff Writer
Hard work is paying off for two Franklin County schools.
Two county schools are among those receiving a bonus from the state for good performance on standardized tests.
Gov. Bob Riley announced 313 schools, including Phil Campbell Elementary and Red Bay High School, received funding through the program. Red Bay High received $11,600; Phil Campbell Elementary received $5,000.
State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton said, these much-deserved rewards are tokens of appreciation for the efforts of the school administrators, teachers and students.
"Meeting the rigid demands of No Child Left Behind is an accomplishment in and of itself. Couple that with the additional circumstances of poverty and other challenges to some schools and the goals are even harder to attain," Morton said. "These significant accomplishments address the fact that every child can learn and achieve a much higher level of greatness in the years ahead."
Red Bay was honored in two of the five qualifying categories, defined by the state as "Meeting the Challenge" and "Exceeding the Challenge." The Meeting the Challenge award was worth $6,600 and recognized schools that met annual yearly progress for two consecutive years. To qualify for this award, 80 percent of the student population must fall below the poverty line.
One-hundred thirty eight schools statewide earned the Meeting the Challenge money; 136 achieved the Exceeding the Challenge goal.
The Exceeding the Challenge Award honored schools posting scores higher than the state average in reading and math in certain subgroups, such as students receiving free or reduced lunches or in special education programs.
Phil Campbell earned its bonus in the Exceeding the Challenge category.
Statewide, rewards ranged from $2,500 to $46,500 for each school with the money coming from state and federal funding.