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Family engagement liaison says program helped ‘grandfamilies’ and reported test-score gains; urges full-time high‑school liaison
Summary
Sue Burton, the district community schools liaison, told the Lincoln County Board on March 18 that family engagement programs supporting grandparents and caretakers have grown and produced measurable gains in reading and math; she asked the board to make the high‑school community contact (Judy Byrd) a full‑time position.
At the March 18 Lincoln County Board of Education meeting, community schools liaison Sue Burton reported growth and academic improvements tied to the district’s family engagement efforts and asked the board to consider making the high‑school community contact a full‑time position.
Burton said the grandfamilies program has expanded from about eight families when it began to “a hundred in my program.” She attributed student success to strong family support and community contacts who build trust with students and caretakers. “I have a hundred in my program,” Burton said.
Burton reported assessment gains for students in the program: an average reading scale‑score increase of about 43 points, which she described as 65% growth, and an average math scale‑score increase of about 20 points, which she described as 81% growth. She said staff provide social‑emotional supports and basic needs assistance — including assistance with roofs, floors, utility bills, clothing and shoes — and that those supports remove barriers to attendance and learning.
Burton identified two named community contacts who assist the work: Evelina Butcher (Guyan Valley) and Judy Byrd (Lincoln County High School). Burton said Byrd’s workload has grown and requested the board consider making Byrd a full‑time position next year, noting Byrd “well deserves it and the kids need her.”
Superintendent Barnett introduced Burton and emphasized the district’s reliance on family engagement to support students who are being raised by grandparents and other relatives. Several board members responded with thanks and expressed appreciation for the team’s work.
Why it matters: Burton framed the program as addressing nonacademic barriers — housing, utilities, food and caregiver stability — that influence attendance, behavior and test performance. The request for an additional or full‑time position at the high school, if approved, would require staffing and budget decisions at a future meeting.
Questions and next steps: Burton provided handouts listing distributions, expenditures and grants that support the program; she said grants and other funds were used for the work but did not list exact grant names or total dollar amounts during the presentation. Board members had no substantive follow‑up questions recorded beyond expressions of appreciation.
