Ed Tierney, Superintendent of Schools for the Monroe County School District, joined Good Morning Keys on Keys Talk 96.9/102.5FM this morning to talk about our schools.
The school district saw $3 million in funding yesterday to renovate Reynolds School into the operations department, which would open up Trumbo for affordable housing units.
Tierney said, “That was a really nice day, and just a kind of an example of when the school board and local government and the county and the federal government work together. So we’re so grateful for Congressman Carlos Gimenez to come and advocate for us and then deliver that 3 million dollar ceremonial check, and we’ll be able to renovate really a magnificent structure on that in town, and then ultimately open the door for 150 affordable housing units in Key West. We’re seeing a lot of communities and school boards across the state talking about creating affordable housing. But Monroe County is really, actually doing it. It’s really quite amazing to see.”
What are the next steps?
Tierney said, “The steps are Reynolds is renovated, and that is such a beautiful building, so I look forward to seeing that restored, and our operations department will go there, and then Bruce Hall a couple blocks away, equally beautiful structure will house the district office, and then that will vacate the premises on Trumbo, where we’ll build 150 affordable housing units. So kind of a large plan, but it’s going to make two beautiful buildings back in the city, and then open that door for affordable housing, which is so important.”
Will there be other sources of funding help?
Tierney said, “We were having some state appropriations as well, and we’re continuing to look for state money, federal money, and then our tourists to help us finance that also. So we’re kind of casting our net that widely on support to try to ultimately create a place where we can make this affordable for our teachers and workers, and they can live where they teach. Reynolds, I looked into the history, as we prepared to kind of accept this money yesterday from Congressman Gimenez. In 1927 was a school, and then damaged in Irma to the point where it was no longer usable. But if you look at that building and inside and out, of course, it is quite beautiful. So that’s going to really be a nice kind of historical landmark in that community. And then Trumbo was built in the 1950s and certainly, we’ve gotten our money out of that building. So we’re just making sure we’re keeping it safe for the people who work there. And then ultimately, I think the lifespan of that building has probably run out.”
This is Teacher Appreciation Week.
Tierney said, “I’ve been out in a fair amount of schools and watching the principals and assistant principals celebrate the teachers. Teachers have always been and will always be, the backbone of education, and I just want to thank them for all of their efforts. They worked so hard this year, do such a great job. I came from a system with a lot of teachers, so I’ve seen a lot of great ones, and the teachers in Monroe County are as good as I’ve ever seen. So I want to thank them for their efforts and celebrate them during Teacher Appreciation Week, because I know our school board does as well.”
Graduation is also upon us.
Tierney said, “Graduation is the pinnacle of the 13 year journey and all of the work from kindergarten teachers up through high school. And I very much look forward to participating in three graduations towards the end of this month, so a couple weeks away. But I look forward to celebrating the graduates with staff and families.”
Graduation rates have continued to rise.
Tierney said, “It went up. A lot of good work last year, and we saw a big increase, double the increase of the state last year. And then this year, the teachers and the school and district personnel have worked so hard to support our seniors. So I anticipate another increase, but it has really been a year long effort this year to get everyone across the stage, and we’re still working for kids who need the final retake and the fast test, or the June ACT, we’re talking about helping them there. So everyone’s working really hard to help these seniors. The staff and the district office in the schools have been so open to doing as much as they can for individual kids to include, more testing options, and even helping them test at home on some of the tests that are legal, and coming in over the summer to work to support them. So they’ve really done above and beyond what they’ve been asked to help every student get across that stage. And it’s heartwarming to say, and it’s, it’s the way it should be to help kids.”
Kindergarten preparation is also a big deal.
Tierney said, “We had a week where we tried to get as many kids as possible in, and we gave them a Monroe County themed game that’s also academically focused, to get them prepared for the first day of kindergarten. We had 533 people come through our schools, which was a lot, and we’re continuing to sign students up and encourage them to come in and then we will work with them over the summer, using this game to get them as prepared for kindergarten as possible. So our current kindergarten readiness rate for this year is 42% and we’re going to look to significantly increase that for the class of 2039, which will start in August of this year. I just want to mention, the teachers, they’re just so important. They work so hard, and just carry the system. So I appreciate them.”
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