Adair County Schools are seeing academic improvement, expanding dual-credit opportunities and preparing to open a new middle school this fall, Superintendent Jason Faulkner told the Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce Tuesday during the district’s annual “State of the Schools” address. The presentation highlighted academic gains, workforce preparation efforts and new investments in facilities and technology throughout the district.
Faulkner began by reading the school’s mission statement that was adopted last year. The statement focuses on community involvement, a collaborative effort between everyone and providing students with opportunities after graduation.
“Continually adapt, that means the way we’ve always done it is not the way we need to be doing it. The world’s changing, our needs are changing, and our students are changing. We need to continually adapt,” said Faulkner.
Adair County Schools employ a total of 394 people with a monthly payroll of $1.4 million. They are the largest employer in the county.
There is a total of 43 bus routes throughout the county, averaging about 600,000 miles per year. Each year, the school purchases three new buses. Inflation in the last six years has raised the cost of a bus from $98,000 to $150,000.
Two years ago, the district hired a full-time federal programs director and grant writer, Holly Trowbridge. This year, she has applied for 21 grants and has received $285,028. This money has been used for sporting equipment, physical education equipment, to begin a beekeeping project at ACHS and will pay the salary of two literacy interventionists for next school year.
Faulkner said he has also applied for a computer science grant, which will give students dual credit and the potential for future internships or jobs. He also is working on a literacy artificial intelligence program grant.
Adair County Schools showed improvement in most areas of the 2025 Kentucky Summative Assessment. This reflects steady growth across the district in reading, math, social studies, and writing.
Sarah Hatton, Secondary Instructional Supervisor, spoke about career readiness for students. High school students can take numerous courses that are dual credit through various colleges and universities. She said that it is possible for students to earn enough dual credits to have an associate’s degree when they graduate high school.
Hatton said that one of the initiatives Faulkner spearheaded when he was hired was to get textbooks back into the classrooms. The state stopped paying for textbooks several years ago, and there was no consistency on what was being used or the curriculum.
“That has been so beneficial, and it makes so much difference in the day-to-day instruction,” said Hatton.
During the pandemic, students used chrome books for remote learning. Faulkner said he believes physical textbooks are fundamental for learning. It is an investment into our children and provides them with resources for learning.
Susan Pfefferman is the elementary instruction supervisor. She spoke about the breakdown in vocabulary development for children. They offer a two-year program that is free and voluntary for teachers to assist them in language development.
Today, children are learning 40 million fewer words by age four. One of the outside influences on children that is causing this decline is screen time. The time spent on a tablet or phone decreases the vocabulary development compared to having conversations with children.
Faulkner concluded the presentation with a virtual tour of the district’s new middle school, set to welcome students when it opens this fall.
By Amy Pike
amy@adairvoice.com
