The Crenshaw County Public School System opened last Friday, and Superintendent Kathi Wallace is looking forward to a successful year.

&#8220We have improved the facilities at all three schools, and they are in the best condition that I can ever remember,” Wallace said.

There have been several classrooms and hallways painted at all three schools, including floor tile work that has been completed. Highland Home High School has new awnings, and there is new carpet in the career tech class and the bandroom at Brantley High School.

&#8220The renovation project at Luverne School's football stadium is still ongoing,” she said. There is to be new brick work added at the stadium.

Wallace said that most of this work is due to the Crenshaw County Schools' Maintenance Department, where Butch Norman is the supervisor.

&#8220We also appreciate and want to thank each of the individual schools' custodial staffs because they do the bulk of the work with cleaning the floors and getting them ready for the beginning of the school year, &#8220 Wallace said.

There are several new programs being put in place this year, including distance learning via the Internet in the computer labs in each school, according to Wallace.

&#8220Spanish is going to be taught using distance learning this year,” she said. &#8220It (distance learning) is really going to be the future of the school systemŠit's like opening a whole new world to students. Technology is really the key.”

Wallace said that the school system has begun purchasing wireless laptops for each school as well.

&#8220Plus, we have brought back Driver's Education to all three schools this year,” she added.

For several years, the course had been taught during the summer. Chad Carpenter is the driver's education instructor for the county.

Another plus for the school system is the increase in dual enrollment, where students can take college courses and receive college credit while in high school. The school system is coordinating this program with LBWCC at the Luverne campus.

Wallace said that the Crenshaw County School System saw an overall improvement in its AYP, or Adequate Yearly Progress, scores from the year before, which are based on the federally mandated No Child Left Behind Act.

For this school year, which is based on last year's data, Highland Home School is the only school to have made AYP.

According to the 2004-2005 AYP results, Luverne High School achieved 18 out of 22 of its goals, or 82 percent. The 2005-2006 AYP results showed an increase as Luverne School attained 20 out of 21 of its goals, or 95 percent. A school must achieve 100 percent of its goals in order to make AYP for the following school year.

The only category that LHS did not achieve was in the &#8220dropout/graduation rate” category. However, because of their increase in goal achievement, they are now in &#8220School Improvement, Year One Delay.” Last year, they were in &#8220School Improvement” status. It takes two years to be taken off the &#8220School Improvement” list.

According to the 2004-2005 AYP results, Brantley High School achieved 18 out of 18 of its goals, or 100 percent. This past year, however, Brantley made 16 out of 17 goals, or 94 percent. The &#8220dropout/graduation rate” was the only category in which they did not reach their goal. Since Brantley made AYP last year, they are not in the &#8220School Improvement” category this year.

Highland Home School achieved 20 out of 22 goals, or 91 percent, during the 2004-2005 school year. However, last year, HHS made AYP when they achieved 19 out of 19 of their goals, or 100 percent. This year, they are in the &#8220School Improvement, Year One Delay” status.

&#8220In 2005, we reached 56 out of our required 62 goals,” Wallace said. &#8220Last year, we achieved 55 out of 57 goals, which is a big improvement.”

&#8220We recognized that we had some problem areas, and we addressed them, and much improvement was made,” she said. &#8220Our faculty has worked hard to reach these goals in order to make AYP because you must have 100 percent in all of the categories in order to do that. We have made great strides in accomplishing this, and I am proud of our faculties and staff members and our students for the work they have done.”