Volunteer group tells Rock Ridge board its tutors delivered 1,160 sessions last year

Theresa D Venisha, who identified herself as working with Volunteers in Education, told the Rock Ridge Public Schools board that the volunteer tutoring program serves nine schools overall and three schools in the district — Laurentian, Northstar and Parkview. "Last year alone for the three elementary schools in Rockbridge…our tutors provided 1,160 tutoring sessions," she said, adding the group logged about 538 hours of tutoring and served roughly 198 students per month at those schools.

Venisha described the volunteer pool as mostly adults (many with bachelor’s or advanced degrees) plus a handful of high‑school tutors, including National Honor Society students. She said volunteers and site coordinators follow the districts' background‑check protocols; site coordinators receive a small stipend (about $20 per hour for one to two hours weekly) while volunteers themselves are unpaid. "We do the same checks that the district asks of all of their non‑licensed staff," Venisha said.

Board members asked how the program matches tutors to students and whether tutoring is funded; Venisha said teachers refer students, site coordinators make matches based on subject and availability, and the organization secures grant funding to support operations. She described pre‑service training that emphasizes relationship building: "When we start working with our tutors…this focus on the importance of relationships" helps students engage and build confidence, she said.

Venisha invited board members and staff to follow up using contact information on the handout and noted the group is scheduling structured‑literacy training for interested tutors in coordination with a regional service cooperative. The presentation concluded without formal board action.