The person who heads the Centralia City Schools Home to School Liaison program has been awarded the Centralia Chamber of Commerce Shining Star Award.
Kathy Donnelly and City Grade School Superintendent Craig Clark started the program eight years ago to help students and families in need.
Donnelly, who was shocked when her name was announced as the winner, says last year alone she opened 472 unduplicated cases. She’s honored with the award for a job she loves in helping families.
Donnelly reports teachers often submit names of children they think could use the assistance based on what they see in the classroom.
“We sometimes deal with food storages, no water, academic failure, truancy, homelessness so it’s a mixed bag. We go on all different kinds of issues.”
Donnelly also thanked the community for their help.
“This community has a great big heart for kids. People can say what they want about Centralia, but what Centralia does well is we work together and make things happen when kids need things.”
The award was announced by Centralia City School Superintendent Craig Clark after the school district received a Partners in Progress Award for their work with students and building improvements.
In accepting the award, Clark noted the importance businesses place on a good education system when looking at the community to locate.
“We have renovated our buildings both inside and out, invested in curriculum and technology, received grants, and put in solar fields that saved us almost $60,000 in utilities this school year. We ditched bus contracts and started our own bussing which has saved us over $1.3 million over the past 3 years. So we are striving to get our school and buildings where children need them to be.”
Clark also pointed with pride the accomplishments of the Home to School Liaison program.
“It’s a program that helps parents and kids. And we are trying to make our community better by supporting them.”
In presenting the award, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marcus Holland noted the importance of the chamber and business community to embrace the schools and students.
“Over 80% of our students are in poverty. There are issues in the home in meeting their basic needs in food, clothing, and safety. The work the schools do, our Centralia City Schools, what they do to reach these youths goes above and beyond what most school districts do. If we want to move our community forward, we need to pay attention to the kids. We need to show them the opportunities that we have. And we need to continue to build these relationships between the families, faculty, and business.”
Earlier in his chamber goals, Holland identified education as one of the key opportunity components that were part of the chamber work planned in the coming year.
Centralia Grade School Superintendent Craig Clark receives Partners in Progress Award from Centralia Chamber Executive Director Marcus Holland.
