BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Concerned Citizens of Bradford County held its annual Martin Luther King Day ceremony on Monday, January 20, at the Governor Charlie E. Johns Conference Center.
The event featured an invocation by Bradford County Commissioner Carolyn Spooner, the audience singing “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” the Pledge of Allegiance led by Makalyn Almore, and musical selections from the Greater Allen Chapel AME Youth Choir and Keith Taylor.
Glenda J. Ruise presided over the event.
‘It’s not about their sports’
Dr. Naima Brown, Vice President for Student Affairs at Santa Fe College, presented MLK Model Scholar awards. She said the college oversees two federally funded TRIO programs at Bradford High School: Upward Bound and the Educational Talent Search. She said the two programs combined to help 156 Bradford High School students.
“Today, we are as a team honoring students in the SF TRIO program who are visioning and working towards a better future for themselves and for their community,” Brown said. “It’s not about their GPA. It’s not about their sports. It’s not about that. It’s about these students having a vision, and we see them working towards it.”
Graduation rate and test scores up
Bradford County Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley delivered the keynote address at the event.
He started by recognizing the high school’s athletic achievements, including a resurgence in the school’s boys and girls basketball programs, a new competitive cheer team, and the re-establishment of wrestling after nearly a decade-long absence from the school.
The superintendent also highlighted the high school’s improving graduation rate, which he said had increased by over 11% over the past two years.
“Last year’s state testing was some of the best that’s ever happened in Bradford County,” he added.
He said that after this year’s midyear testing, he is seeing scores at or better than last year’s scores.
Cambridge program saves $60,000 in tuition
Hartley also talked about the high school’s Cambridge Program.
“We started our Cambridge Program because it is becoming harder for our students to get Bright Futures (Scholarships),” he said.
Hartley explained that the state is increasing the test scoring requirements for the Bright Futures program, making it more difficult for students to qualify. However, if a student passes seven Cambridge courses, that pupil qualifies for a 100% college scholarship.
“This past year was the first year of our program…and I don’t think anyone involved expected the success that we saw,” he said. “This was new to all of the teachers that were teaching the courses as well as the students.”
Hartley reported that Bradford’s Cambridge program scored a 70% pass rate for all courses.
“Ninety-six percent of the students that took at least one Cambridge exam passed,” he added.
He said those results equated to $60,000 in saved tuition for the students in the program.
Hartley also highlighted the district’s College and Career Readiness class, which now includes a financial literacy component.
Seeking money for new high school
Hartley said that the completion of Bradford Elementary School last year marked the first time in 27 years that a new school had been constructed in the county.
He added that he is returning to Tallahassee this year to advocate for a new junior-senior high school.
He said the district will apply to the state this week for the new campus, and he will make a presentation to state officials over the summer.
“They usually approve two to three districts,” Hartley said. “Right now, I know there are only two districts that have applied.”
The schools chief concluded his talk by appealing to parents and community leaders about the importance of school attendance.
“Seventy percent of our students who attended at least 90% of the school days were proficient last year,” he told the crowd. “When our students are present, they are actually getting a very good education in Bradford County. If all of our students were at least 90% in attendance, our district would easily be an “A.”
Concerned Citizens President Alicia McMillian concluded the ceremony by thanking the event’s sponsors and exhorting parents to take control of their households.
She also said her group advocates for the entire Bradford County community, not just the African American segment.
“When I say community, I don’t just mean where we are housed at in Reno,” she said. “Every one of our children, whether they are red, black, blue or green, we are trying to help you in motivation. If the parents can’t help them, that’s what we are here for.”
McMillian also endorsed Hartley’s work at the school district and described the measures she took to ensure his re-election in last year’s Republican primary.
“I went and changed to Republican, and I voted for Will and then went back, and I changed back to Democrat,” she said.
“We need to support those guys,” she added. “He ain’t perfect, but we ain’t perfect.”
