FRYSCKy, Inc.
Bridging Barriers and Changing Lives Since 1991
Celebrating 25 Years of Impacting Kentucky Families, Ensuring Momentum For the Future
FRANKFORT Ky. (March 7, 2016) –Hundreds are expected to gather at the Kentucky Capitol Thursday, March 10 to celebrate how Family Resource Youth Service Centers (FRYSC’s) have impacted thousands of children for the past 25 years. Organizers and program advocates hope to also send a message about how proposed budget cuts could halt the momentum the centers have built across all 120 counties and as the national standard for the provision of school based services.
“Whatever It Takes” has been the byword for 25 years for the Kentucky Family Resource and Youth Services (FRYSC’s) to help all children learn despite barriers to their education. Program Coordinators do whatever it takes to bridge the gaps to reduce barriers so children can stay in school every day and empower students and their families from the cradle to college and careers.
“Kentucky’s program is one of a kind as it encompasses the entire state and has been functioning for 25 years,” said Dr. David Hornbeck, former Philadelphia Superintendent of Schools and most recently Superintendent of Maryland Public Schools. Dr. Hornbeck was the chief architect of the FRYSC program and the landmark KERA legislation. He states, “It is good for the children and it improves education performance and is the right thing to do!”
The statewide program is a key component of the KERA legislation, and was recently cited in the “Transforming Struggling Schools into Thriving Schools” national report as a “beacon for success,” pointing out, “and then there is Kentucky FRYSC’s in a class by itself.” Fifteen educators recently toured FRYSC Centers and are using Kentucky FRYSC’s as a template for introducing legislation in those states based on the FRYSC model of excellence.
”Look for FRYSC’s to start popping up in states all over the south and the country,” said Evie Frankl, who coordinated the tour from the national office of the Center For Popular Democracy in Washington DC. “We are planning educational and motivational materials, legislative pushes and more to replicate.” We are thankful for the Kentucky FRYSC program for leading the way for so many years and for generously sharing their knowledge with us. FRYSC’s touch everything in the school so they have a valued part in the success of everything that happens within the education system, including academics because of their educational support components.”
The recent national educators’ visit demonstrates Kentucky’s best kept secret is now on the national radar. Meanwhile, throughout the state, dedicated FRYSC staff work diligently to meet the needs of the school-aged population in communities devastated by generational poverty and few community resources, yet they work with all students in their schools and collaborate with community resource providers. FRYSC’s serves as the catalyst for bringing the community into the schools and bridge the gaps to help alleviate barriers to student academic success.
In an effort to be good stewards of public funding, the FRYSCKy Coalition consistently conducts surveys to gauge how the centers are impacting those inside Kentucky school districts. Most recently, the coalition completed a survey February 3-10, 2016 with more than 25,000 responses. The survey garnered feedback from over 8,800 teachers, 7,800 Parents, 2,500 community members, 1,200 grandparents, 1,076 students, just fewer than 200 Board of Education members and 113 superintendents.
The response count indicated that 95.76 % participants agreed/strongly agreed for protection of funding for the FRYSC program to help strengthen and stabilize students and families.
Kentucky is a beacon to all other states for its ability to all but eliminate the opportunity gap between low-income students and all other students on time as cited in the Community Schools: Transforming Schools into Thriving Schools National Report, published in February 2016.
Rally organizers expect the event will also draw attention to the need for sustaining funding during the challenging budget session Kentucky is currently facing. Organizers respect the fiscal barriers being presented but worry impact will diminish the community partnerships staff members have worked hard to create. The FRYSC budgets are based on free lunch numbers. As of December 1, 2015, an additional 8,000 more free lunch numbers were reported for the state of Kentucky.
“Doing more with less has become the rule during the past few years,” said FRYSCKy Coalition President Brian H. Akers and FRC Coordinator at Betsy Lane Elementary School in Floyd County. “Due to shrinking budgets and with the proposed budget cuts our staffing, programming and summer activities will be impacted in so many areas.”
FRYSC dollars make a difference in providing programming to help students succeed in school. Survey participants feel it is time to reinvest in the FRYSC program to level the playing field so all children can learn. Hundreds of supporters will be there to advocate and celebrate this key and necessary component of Kentucky educational programming.
The rally, set for 11:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m., will feature Akers, local and statewide coordinators as well as legislative leaders who are planning to speak: House Speaker Greg Stumbo, Senate President Robert Stivers, House Majority Leader Rocky Adkins, and Senate Minority Leader Ray S. Jones, House Majority leader Jeff Hoover and Representative Tim Moore have also committed to attending the event. The fourth and fifth grade choir from Peaks Mill Elementary and the Harry J. Cowherd FRC will honor the gathering with inspirational musical performance.
FRYSC’s have been bridging barriers and changing lives since 1991. Organizers hope the rally will remind everyone that the mission of Kentucky FRYSC’s to do “whatever it takes” needs to be to sustained to help overcome the opportunity gaps for all students and children and their families in the commonwealth. The goal of the event will be to “stand for Kentucky children” to celebrate their history on this day with the hope that the broad legislative and community support will sustain the momentum needed to impact families for the next 25 years.