Senate President Stivers Visits Johnson
Elementary to Tour Facilities
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State Sen. Will Schroder and Senate President Robert Stivers. |
By Mark Collier
Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers visited Johnson
Elementary in Fort Thomas Thursday to tour the school's facilities with school
officials, stakeholders and elected officials.
The group, led by Fort Thomas Education Foundation Chair,
Amy Shaffer, aimed to demonstrate the need for state funding for the school.
Their main goal: a new school.
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Amy Shaffer, Ashley Dikeos, Holly Collinsworth and Karen Cheser listen to Stivers talk about the budgetary process. |
Johnson Elementary, which boasts the second oldest school
building in the entire Commonwealth, has
perennially been named to the "Parsons List", a running group of
schools that are in need of upgrading. In 2014, Moyer Elementary received state
funds that paid the bulk of the $20 million dollar project that is currently
underway. During the last budgetary
cycle, Johnson was also very high on the School Facilities Construction
Commission list, however Moyer Elementary was given a higher priority due to the
utilization of mobile classrooms on its campus.
While the facilities are in desperate need of updating at
Johnson, the school's student population, now at 465, continues to excel. In
2014 the school won it's second blue ribbon award, the district's fifth such
award since 1997. The district has since
added its sixth award when Moyer won last year.
Fort Thomas Independent School Superintendent, Karen Cheser,
said the work of the foundation is crucial in showing Frankfort that the
district is committed to continuing its national reputation for academic
excellence.
Aside from the bonding capacity the district has for raising
funds, the private money raised by FTEF helps bridge the gap, but Cheser noted
that state investment is crucial to be added as the first dollar into the pot.
"This is a priority of the district and we are on it
with every resource that we have at our disposal. We are pulling out all the
stops," she said. "The building does not make the programming, but we
know that Johnson is in dire need of transformation."
Shaffer said that the FTEF is eager to work with district
leadership, state legislators and our community to help get a new Johnson
school.
"We are excited have President Stivers here to show
that our staff and students are excelling despite the building where they
learn. We hope that this visit helps to influence the decision to receive
funding for a new Johnson," she said.
This year it's going to be a battle in Frankfort for
budgetary discretion dollars as the pension crisis looms large. State Senator
Wil Schroder said that when he heard Stivers was going to be in northern
Kentucky, he made it a point to ask him to tour the blue ribbon school in Fort
Thomas.
"This is an extremely important issue to my constituents
in Fort Thomas so it was my top priority to bring him here," said
Schroder, who is on the Senate's Appropriations and Revenue committee.
"I know how those meetings work in the Senate and know
what goes into those decisions for how state money is awarded. President
Stivers has a lot of say in those decisions and I wanted to make him aware of
these concerns in my district, specifically with Johnson. The infrastructure
concerns for the school and what the teachers bring out of the students is remarkable."
Shaffer noted that getting Stivers to Fort Thomas was a big
step forward in helping the district to obtain the state funding to build a new
school.
"We realize that a presence in Frankfort is necessary
for this community to be able to get the work done that we need done. It's the
reason why Moyer could be funded. The district and the foundation's
relationship with our local legislators is key to helping this district in its
goal of creating global leaders," she said.
Stivers spent about 30 minutes touring the facility and
asked probing questions to the group, which included Shaffer, Schroder, Cheser,
Assistant Superintendent, Jamee Flaherty, Johnson Principal, Ashley Dikeos,
House Representative, Joe Fischer, board members, Karen Allen and John Weyer as
well as Fort Thomas Education Foundation member, Holly Collinsworth.
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The former and current Johnson Elementary Principals, Jamee Flaherty (now Assistant Superintendent) and Ashley Dikeos. |
“As the Senate
President, part of my statewide mission is traveling with fellow Senate members
to learn about the important issues in their respective districts," said
Stivers.
"The visit to Johnson Elementary School made me realize
the legitimate concern parents have, and it is an issue that we will continue
to monitor moving forward."
Collinsworth recalled similar tours she took with the School
Facilities Construction Commission before the Highland High School renovation.
"Words or numbers aren't going to be able to describe
what kind of shape a building is in," she said.
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