As students return to class in Indian River County, there will be a big focus on reading.
Nearly all elementary schools in the county will have an extra teacher who is focused on increasing the literacy rates of third graders.
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“They will have extra teacher there that will work just with third-grade students who are struggling to read and hopefully they will be confident or fluent in reading by the end of third grade. So, they will be able to read to learn and be successful later in life,” said Indian County Schools Superintendent Mark Rendell.
The county also opened the Treasure Coast Technical College, which is for adults in the area.
Students can learn about welding, plumbing and HVAC repair.
The school also offers a range of health service classes.
School Security Improvements
All schools in Indian River County will have a single point of entry by Christmas break.
Rendell said this summer the district focused much of their time on how to keep students safe.
“The most important thing is the school resource officers,” Rendell said. “A live presence of a trained law enforcement officer on campus is the No. 1 security measure.”
The district also updated its system of checking visitor identifications when people arrive at schools. The district said all parents will have to show an ID to come into the school.
Watch a 15-minute interview with Rendell in the video player below:
