Clay County High School saw over 220 students reach the school’s 95 percent attendance goal during the month of August.
Principal Carl Ledbetter said the figure represents a significant portion of the 306 students enrolled.
“What a blessing it is to have that many to start off with that,” Ledbetter said, “Just a very impressive number and it’s just a testament to the kids and the teachers that support the vision that we played together as a school.”
Ledbetter said the school partnered with Communities in Schools of Tennessee to provide $10 gift cards to students who met the goal. Ledbetter said eight winners are selected each month through a raffle that includes every student who reaches the 95 percent threshold.
Ledbetter said the school also launched a monthly spotlight program to recognize educators and students. He said faculty members nominate and vote on students from each grade level based on attendance, effort, academics, or leadership.
“The faculty sees a kid that whether it’s something to do with attendance, whether it’s effort, whether it’s a good deed, academics, leadership, whatever it is they’ll nominate that kid,” Ledbetter said. “And then at the end of the month, because they nominate, I let them vote on who earned the right to be the spotlight for that grade.”
Ledbetter set better attendance as one of his goals when he took over the leadership at Clay County.
