Jenkins County Family Enrichment Center (JCFEC) is busy and working diligently to improve the lives of the citizens of Jenkins County.

Mandy Underwood, JCFEC executive director, updated Jenkins County Board of Education (BOE) members on activities of the organization during the BOE’s Tuesday, Dec. 14, meeting.

Underwood reported that the organization will be applying for four different grants over the next few months to fund various programs and services offered by JCFEC. She noted that participation in the after school program at Jenkins County High School was at its highest level ever with 17 students enrolled.

Robin Scott of JCFEC reported on the Certified Work Ready program, noting that many colleges now require students to obtain Work Ready certificates prior to enrollment. He noted that 670 individuals have been assessed locally. Eighty-eight JCHS seniors took the Work Ready tests last year with 71 passing. Of those five received the “gold” level certification, he said.

In a related matter, the BOE approved a motion requesting that the BOE become the fiscal agent for a Department of Human Services’ grant for which the JCFEC is applying. The $178,000 matching-fund grant will be used to fund after school programs. The matching funds required by the grant may be in-kind services, said Jenkins County School Superintendent Melissa Williams.

Superintendent Williams reported that BOE Chairman Carroll Gay had been recognized by the Georgia School Board Association for 15 years of service to the organization. She also noted that Jenkins County School Food Services had been recognized for high participation in its lunch and breakfast programs for the 2007-2008 school year.

Several groups of students were recognized by the BOE for their accomplishments: Education Essay winners, One Act Play region winners and competition cheerleaders. Talmadge Fries, transportation coordinator, reported that the system’s school buses had recently been inspected by the Department of Transportation and that discovered defects were down 30 percent from the previous year. He credited Eunice Toby, mechanic, with the accomplishment and noted that all defects had been corrected and all buses were approved for service.

In other business, several fundraising activities were approved by the BOE; Wendell Clark was approved as Junior Varsity baseball coach; Angela Carr was approved as a substitute teacher; and the salary schedule for Jenkins County School Food Services personnel was approved.

(Editor’s note – Photos of students receiving recognition by the BOE will appear in a later edition.)