Story
by: Karl K. Ridge Photo by: Theresa Montgomery
Through the year, Ronnie Bugnar has seen children
come to school wearing bell bottoms, parachute pants, low riders
and bell bottoms - again. As superintendent of Person County Schools
for 20 years, Bugnar has watched trends come and go, and while fashions
are always changing, the school system's goals largely have not.
"The biggest thrust of the school system is to improve student
achievement," says Bugnar, who is serving the longest tenure
of any single system superintendent in the state.
Person County is consistently recognized locally and statewide for
the quality of education it provides in its 12 schools. With Bugnar
at the helm, the system has incorporated technology into the curriculum
and has undergone two major construction projects.
"It's a nice place to work," Bugnar says. "There
are a lot of nice folks involved with the schools, and we work well
with the board of education."
Person County Schools, serving some 5,800 students, boasts some
of the state's highest rankings in attendance and led the way
in the implementation of more stringent high school graduation
requirements. The district also tests fifth- and eighth-grade
students for computer proficiency, and usually reports fewer violent
incidents than most of the state's 117 other school systems.
"It's a great place to raise kids and a good place to teach"
Bugnar says. "There's a lot of camaraderie and spirit in
Person County."
At the high school level, students follow traditional courses
of study and participate in a variety of workforce programs and
apprenticeships.
"Being a rural high school has a distinct advantage,"
says Pam Brewer, assistant principal for instruction at Person
High. "All the resources of the community are here for the
students."
Parental involvement also adds to the school's success. Brewer
says more than 90 percent of parents consistently attend high
school conferences to plan their children's education.
Parents of Bethel Hill Charter School students also stay involved
with their children's education by volunteering in classrooms
and even helping with classroom renovations.
"Parents have done a wonderful job of making this work,"
says John Betterton, principal of the 290-student charter school.
Many parents say they are pleased with the 2 year-old elementary
charter school, which stresses average class sizes of 17 students
and uses the, Core Knowledge learning philosophy, which helps
students form a solid knowledge base through a shared elementary
and middle school curriculum.
"I like the personal attention the teachers are able to
give to help children achieve at their own levels," says
Pam Jones, whose son Harrison is in the second grade at the charter
school. "My son recently asked me if he could go to school
on Saturdays, too.'
Story
by: Karl K. Ridge
