Student, board chairman, business leader honored for aiding J.V. Martin Junior High
Posted on: 2/26/2010
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DILLON, SC – State Superintendent of Education Jim Rex honored three “education heroes” today for their pivotal roles in replacing the state’s oldest school, century-old J.V. Martin Junior High in Dillon.
At a student and community assembly at J.V. Martin, Rex presented Palmetto Ambassador of Education awards to Ty’Sheoma Bethea, the former J.V. Martin student whose letter to President Barack Obama brought national attention to her school; Richard Schafer, the longtime chairman of the Dillon County Board of Education who had a key role in passing a 2007 bond referendum to fund the new school; and Darryl Rosser, the CEO of Chicago-based Sagus International who is spearheading private-sector assistance for the school.
Rex said the three honorees stand out among a large group of citizens and private-sector leaders who want to turn J.V. Martin into the prototype for a new generation of schools custom-designed to serve high-poverty rural communities.
“J.V. Martin’s evolution into a cutting-edge 21st Century school will owe a lot to these three outstanding people,” Rex said.
The aging school was featured prominently in the documentary film “Corridor of Shame.” That movie’s producer and director, Bud Ferillo, delivered the opening remarks at today’s assembly.
Dillon voters approved a bond referendum in 2007 to replace the school, but the nation’s banking crisis made it impossible to get approval for construction loans. That changed with news last month that the school had qualified for federal loans that could not only replace the decrepit facility, but could also be the springboard for ambitious plans to turn it into a model school for the entire country. Dillon County received $35.8 million in loans and $4 million in grants under the federal stimulus program, with $24 million of those dollars aimed at J.V. Martin.
Although there had been ongoing efforts to replace the century-old school, the most recent push began last year when Ty’Sheoma Bethea captured the nation’s heart. She described her school’s conditions in a letter to President Obama, then traveled to Washington and was honored by a standing ovation during the president’s first address to a joint session of Congress.
Bethea recently moved to Atlanta after her mother was laid off, and she now attends an Atlanta-area high school. But she has continued to push for help at her former school in South Carolina and appeared at a Martin Luther King Day program last week in Charleston.
Schafer, chairman of Dillon’s county school board since 1990, helped organize the county’s drive to approve the 2007 bond referendum. He worked with a variety of experts to complete the application for federal grants and loans, and to enlist the support of South Carolina congressmen John Spratt and Jim Clyburn.
Rosser, CEO of Chicago-based furniture maker Sagus International, made news last year when his company led the donation of $250,000 in classroom furniture to J.V. Martin. He also worked with Rex to make J.V. Martin the centerpiece of a two-day conference in Columbia involving educators, architects, engineers, and technology and health care experts from South Carolina and across the nation. The private-sector participants paid their own travel expenses and gave their time pro bono.
Participants at that symposium discussed how to build a school that meets the education, social and health needs of students and their parents. As a community center in a high-poverty area, such a school could include space for doctors, day care and adult classes.
Rosser continues to work with Rex to attract additional funding from private and government sources to help J.V. Martin.
In total, Dillon County will receive a $35.8 million loan and a $4 million grant to improve education services in its three school districts. Of that total, $24 million will go to J.V. Martin, with the remainder going to build an early childhood center in Latta and to renovate schools in the Lake View community.
Today’s presentation in Dillon was the second set of Palmetto Ambassador for Education awards. The first awards were presented two years ago to Grammy-winning rockers Hootie & the Blowfish, who established the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation to benefit the children of South Carolina through education improvement, reform and advocacy. The band supports projects in many communities across the Palmetto State, including Charleston, Allendale, Florence, Jasper and Lee counties. In addition, the band has been a leading advocate for music education in the state and throughout the nation.
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