Civil Municipal Magazine Aug 2023

262 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 8 fundraised tens of thousands of dollars, got a lot of community business organization support, and it ended up turning into a beautiful project.” Forging Connections and Shaping Futures While partnerships with external entities can be valuable, the school district finds its most powerful affiliations closer to home. A noteworthy connection is with the Greene County Career and Technology Center. This establishment has provided invaluable opportunities for the students at Jefferson-Morgan. “Our students going there and then coming into their elementary school and doing some items with students, it’s huge,” shares Superintendent Robinson. As the future unfurls, Superintendent Robinson has a clear vision for Jefferson-Morgan’s direction. The focus is on each student’s individual needs and desires. “My top priorities are reaching students and their individual needs. Whether that be a third grader needing more math work or a junior in high school wanting an internship to explore the medical field,” he says. The strength of a small school lies in its capacity to individualize education and maintain flexibility. For Superintendent Robinson and his team, this is not merely an advantage—it is the defining philosophy of their approach to education. By maintaining this focus, Jefferson-Morgan School District is poised to continue making a difference in the lives of its students and the broader community. PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n First Student Inc. firststudentinc.com As a leading school transportation provider in North America, First Student provides the best start and finish to every school day. With our highly trained drivers and the industry’s strongest safety record, First Student delivers reliable, quality services: full-service transportation, special-needs transportation, route optimization, maintenance and charter. Learn more: firststudentinc.com Superintendent Robinson offers an anecdote that demonstrates the level of comfort some students have reached with these officers: “One student, having received a speeding ticket, approached our officer to seek advice on how to handle it.” He adds that a large majority of the community is in favor of having armed officers in the buildings, recognizing the necessity of having safety measures in place. A School at the Heart of its Community In Jefferson-Morgan, the significance of the school system as the linchpin of the rural community cannot be overstated. As Superintendent Robinson expresses, “We’re the hub. Without community support, we wouldn’t function.” With limited local amenities, the school is the heartbeat of communal activity, rarely going a weekend without hosting an event. “Being a rural school, we’re the hub. You’ll often see people walking our campus, kids on the playground,” says Superintendent Robinson. Beyond providing a venue for various activities, the school undertakes purposeful outreach to engage the community, with one particular program leading the charge: a leadership class known as “Rocket Launching Leadership.” “One of the biggest projects they took on was the creation of a Serenity Garden in a local community area,” Loring says. This garden became a space of reflection and peace following the tragic suicide of a student. “The kids rolled with it. They