Fentress County Schools launching a new tutoring program across all four elementary schools after receiving a $78,060 Tennessee tutoring grant to accelerate student learning.
Director of Schools Kristi Hall said the funding allows the district to conduct 26 different tutoring sessions for students. Hall said the sessions will maintain a ratio of either three or four students to one adult depending on the grade level.
“Now, there will be another grant that we will be bringing before the board probably next time,” Hall said, “But it is an extension of the summer learning camp. They have changed that, and if you had any funds, you could carry them over into the school year just for tutoring, so that one’s not ready but this one is.”
Hall said the tutoring will take place either before or after school rather than during regular school hours. Hall said the program is currently ready for implementation at the elementary level.
“So it is an extra opportunity for us to accelerate students and to get them on the right path,” Hall said.
Hall said the district applied for the Tennessee tutoring grant during a quick turnaround period to secure the $78,060 allocation.
Hall said the district is also managing nearly $800,000 in Innovative School Models funding to support career and technical education for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. Christy said these funds have previously provided greenhouses and barns at various schools.
“We have obviously tried to do, work really hard to ensure that York Elementary, even though they didn’t get as much as everybody else, that we’ve tried to make sure they still have the same access that other schools have,” Christy said.