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ST. LUCIE WEST • TRADITION
YourVoiceWeekly.com VOL. 3/ISSUE 40
YOUR INDEPENDENT LOCAL COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2015
Superintendent: It takes a community to build better schools Lisa Barry
FOR YOUR VOICE NEWS & VIEWS
ST. LUCIE COUNTY — St. Lucie schools have a new leader taking the helm this year and he has his eyes set on improving graduation rates, just as he did in his almost four year term as Superintendent in Palm Beach County. Under Wayne Gent’s direction Palm Beach County reported the highest high school graduation rate of any urban area in Florida in 2014, reaching 84 percent. In Florida, the graduate rate is
the number of students who receive a diploma or GED within four years of entering high school. Many students who miss that get diplomas and GEDs later, but that slows their progress into careers. Achieving higher graduation rates does not start at the high schools, and it does not happen overnight. If the district is going to make it happen, it is going to take a community effort, Gent said. “This school board is very committed to the community and to the success of the community,” Gent said. But one of the board’s main mes-
sages is not to teachers and staff, it is to St. Lucie County parents. “Pretty soon, parents are going to be out buying backpacks and school supplies, but the best gift they can give their students is the gift of time,” Gent said. One of Gent’s goals is to improve communication between the district and families. “Parents should not be afraid to ask questions,” Gent said. To bridge the communication gap, Gent has appointed Kerry Padrick as chief communications officer and David Washington as director of recruitment and reten-
Zumba elves on a mission Lisa Waldrop instructs a Zumba class with a twist in Tradition Tuesday, July 28. Participants dressed in Christmas attire and brought in canned or non-perishable foods to benefit the Treasure Coast Food Bank. The event collected over 300 pounds of donations.
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer
tion. Both positions are new for the district. “There is an inextricable link b e t w e e n schools and the community,” said Padrick, a 26-year veteran of the district. “We want more than just little pockets Wayne Gent of influence. The more people get involved, the more we can help our children.” For parents, getting involved can start with monitoring their children and simply keeping track of their students’ success at school, Gent said. Time permitting, volunteering or joining PTAs is the next best thing, he added The district will be building and strengthening ties with Economic Council of St. Lucie County, the chambers of commerce, and other groups that can provide resources and opportunities for students, according to Padrick. “We are in that listening and learning stage,” Padrick said. “Listening and learning what the community needs from us and at the same time, sharing information on how the community can get involved with us.” In addition to building outside support for the school system and the students in it, Gent is looking inward to build “safe and caring” environments within the walls of each school. Physical safety, Gent said, is something the district is actively
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