R' AUE 19 199J
August 20,
1 2 013165 10/09/1998 *“0
PERQUIMANS COUNTY LIB
110 w academy ST
HERTFORD NC 27944
Perquimans Weekly
350
I Vol. 66, No. 34
The only newspaper for and about Perquimans County people
Hertford, North Carolina 27944
Todd sets high goals for school system
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
■ Perquimans Schools
Superintendent Gregory Todd
has set high goals for himself
and the school system for the
1998-99 fiscal year.
The school board accepted
Todd’s 10 goals in regular ses
sion Monday night. They were
based on discussions during
the board’s retreat earlier this
month. The' goals will become
a part of the appraisal process
for the superintendent during
his annual evaluation by the
board.
Todd set goals under four
major headings: instruction,
safe and orderly environment,
quality personnel and quality
management.
Under instruction, the goals
include all schools meeting
expected growth or better on
the state ABCs measured by
the testing program; 70 per
cent of students in grades 3-8
testing proficient on end-of-
grade tests; and 50 percent of
students in grades 9-12 testing
proficient on end-of-course
tests.
Getting into the new build
ings on time and within bud
get; improving the timeliness
of building maintenance and
losing fewer days from
instruction due to attendance
problems, suspensions and dis
ruptive students are the three
goals under the safe and order
ly environment category.
Jazzin’ it up
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■ ■ ■ ''■■/
PHOTO BY SUSAN HARRIS
The Marching Pirates previewed their 1998-99 show featuring jazz music at the end of band camp Friday afternoon at a pub
lic performance. The band wiil perform during Friday night’s varsity footbali season opener in Hertford. David Ziemba is
band director. This season’s drum major is Kim Stailings.
Schools get $100K technology grant
Funds will be
used to expand
Internet access,
improve test
scores
By SUSAN R. HARRiS
Editor
Students in Perquimans
County Schools will have even
greater access to the Internet
and local and wide area net
works over the next two years
thanks to the receipt of a
$100,000 Technology Literacy
Challenge Grant from the
Department of Public
Instruction.
Administrators and teach
ers plan to use the expanded
technology to help students
meet and exceed expected
growth set forth by the state’s
ABCs program.
The grant proposal, submit
ted by Technology
Coordinator ’V^ictor Eure, out
lined a plan for using funds to
develop an Internet model for
improving teaching and learn
ing. Under the project,
Perquimans County Schools
intends to increase Internet
access to teachers and stu
dents in a system-wide
research initiative. The sys
tem already has in place a K-12
writing alignment with
research as a major compo-
Victor Eure (right center) meets monthiy with the technoiogy committee to review progress
toward system technoiogy goais.
nent. Through the technology
that will now become avail
able, students and teachers
can access adequate informa
tion resources to make the
research activities successful.
In year one of the two-year
project, plans are to bring the
Internet to individual class
rooms through local and wide
area networks focusing on all
K-5 classrooms and language
arts classrooms at the middle
and high school level.
Internet access will be
expanded to include other con
tent areas at the middle and
high school levels in year two.
The construction and reno
vation of the county’s two ele
mentary schools will make it
possible to increase the
Internet access for teachers
and students at those sites
from one dial-up station per
school to at least one Internet
access point in every class
room.
All teachers participating in
the writing portfolio research
will have classroom Internet
access provided by funds
under the project.
In addition, funds will pro
vide training for students,
teachers and parents.
Teachers training will focus
on Intgernet curriculum inte
gration, both within existing
lesson plans and new teaching
strategies made possible by
Internet resources.
Students will learn to read
and think critically to evaluate
In the maintenance goals,
Todd will have monthly
reports submitted to the board
and will have a long-range
maintenance plan in place by
June 1,1999.
Todd has set a goal to
recruit and employ certifiable
staff for aU positions requiring
certification. In addition, he
plans to connect with the
state’s Human Resource
Management System to help
human resources staff track
certifications and salaries.
Management goals are to
assist principals to become
more meaningful leaders in
their schools and to develop a
transportation system that
reduces travel time for stu
dents.
Hertford
moves ahead
with water,
sewer plans
web sites, to communicate
with peers around the world in
collaborative projects, and to
synthesize information collect
ed.
Parent training will address
the negative image of Internet
resources found in popular
media and give parents the
opportunity to learn from
their children about resources
to support their needs and
interests.
Eure will serve as project
director. He earned an M.A. in
linguistics and Mid-East
Studies from the University of
Arizona. He obtained a mas
ters in library and information
studies from East Carolina
University. Eure has been
with the schools for 10 years.
Voters will
decide on bond
referendum on
November 3
By SUSAN R. HARRIS
Editor
The town of Hertford is
moving ahead with plans to
upgrade the municipality’s
water and sewer systems.
The town has advertised its
intention to apply with the
North Carolina Local
Government Commission for
approval to issue general
obligation bonds totalling $4.8
million to finance the projects.
Town Manager John
Christensen said Monday that
the town has also made appli
cation with the United States
Department of Agriculture
Rural Development agency for
grants to finance part of the
proposed project.
“Part of the (USDA) pro
gram is to ensure rural com
munities don’t get stuck with
exhorbitant (water and sewer)
rates due to necessary
improvements,’’ Christensen
said.
The town manager added
that the total project is expect
ed to cost $4.8 million. Any
grant funds received would
reduce the amount the town
would finance with the bond
referendum. USDA is review
ing the town’s grant applica
tion now.
If approved by the Local
Government Commission,
Hertford voters would decide
at a referendum held in tan
dem with November’s general
election whether to approve
issuing bonds.
Planned renovation and
expansion includes expanding
both water and sewer lines,
including lines to the com
merce centre.
In the $990,000 water depart
ment expansion, a third well
would be installed, and old and
outdated equipment updated.
Both water tanks would also
be painted. Christensen said
the treatment plant was
expanded several years ago so
that its capacity to treat water
was increased.
The sewer improvements
are expected to coast over $3.8
million. Christensen said the
wastewater system would be
completely redone, with the
capacity increased from
400,000 gallons per day to
700,000 per day.,
Growth on U.S. Highway 17
Bypass has already put addi
tional stress on the sewer sys
tem, Christensen said. The
renovations would include
upgrading burdened pumping
stations to better handle the
flow from the highway, as well
as have the capacity to service
the commerce centre.
In addition, the upgrade
would give Hertford the capac
ity to have Winfall’s sewer
pumped across the river and
treated in Hertford.
Christensen said it would be
more cost effective for both
towns for Hertford to treat
Winfall’s sewage because
Hertford will have the capaci
ty and it would cost more for
Winfall to build and operate a
small plant than to pay the
cost of having Hertford meter
and treat sewage. He added
that the grant agencies seemed
positive about the regional
proposal, which he said would
more efficiently spend both
towns’ funds.
“Economically, it makes
sense to combine (the treat
ment),” Christensen said. “It
provides greater capacity for
both towns.”
Hertford has already raised
its water and sewer rates in
anticipation of the upgrades.
Christensen said the bonds
would be repaid with user fees.
If voters approve the bond
in the Nov. 3 referendum, the
bonds would be issued and
construction should begin in
early 1999. Christensen said it
would take about two years to
complete the renovations.
Outside
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