Contact: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The inaugural Golden Apple Awards went to six high-performance community partners who provide an exceptional commitment of time, energy and expertise to individual schools or the school district as a whole. 

The winners, announced Nov. 16 at a Commerce Lexington breakfast, included:

• Business/industry: Dean Dorton Ford PSC, in partnership with Breckinridge Elementary;
• Faith-based organization: Southland Christian Church, in partnership with Tates Creek Elementary;
• Post-secondary institution: Bluegrass Community and Technical College, in partnership with Opportunity Middle College;
• Community organizations/non-profits: Sunrise Rotary, in  partnership with Arlington Elementary;
• School-based organization: Veterans Park PTA, in partnership with Veterans Park Elementary;
• Individual: Mildred Bailey, in partnership with Winburn Middle School.

The Community Partners Leadership Team, which grew out of the 2020 Vision project, organizes, guides and monitors the ongoing work of school/community partnerships and serves as a link between Fayette County Public Schools and the local community.  

The team, which is headed by the school district’s family/community liaison and includes representatives of more than 20 organizations and the Fayette County Board of Education, developed the Golden Apple Awards to show appreciation for all that local supporters contribute. 

Superintendent Stu Silberman spoke at the awards program, giving a “state of the schools” report with highlights since he took the helm in 2004. He noted improvements in student achievement, higher teacher salaries, increased construction and renovation projects, more transparent communications from “It’s About Kids” Support Services, and the progress of the 2020 Vision initiatives. 

“Even with the progress we’ve made over the last six years, we still have a long way to go,” he said, referring to doing whatever it takes to close all achievement gaps. “That’s our responsibility – to get all kids to proficiency.” 

The next step is developing strong relationships and expressing high expectations for all students, according to Silberman, and “We’re going to need more community help.”   

Through hundreds of partnerships, mentorships, programs and initiatives in FCPS, community members already provide substantial time, funds and other resources to students, teachers and schools.

Participants include businesses, faith-based organizations, civic clubs, post-secondary education institutions, government and nonprofit agencies, charitable organizations, individual volunteers, PTAs and other parent groups.

Through the Golden Apple Awards, the Community Partners Leadership Team hopes to promote and encourage the already strong base of community support in Lexington and to further develop the benefits of community involvement in the schools.