BCS Parents and Guardians,

Welcome back to another great year in Blount County Schools! This is a special year for us as we celebrate 150 years of serving the students of Blount County. We stand on a strong foundation of staff, teachers, administrators, and community leaders who have tirelessly supported our school system. It is through their care, love and service that we continue our dedication to graduating students who are college and career-ready and prepared to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.

Last year was a banner year for our students, and I am proud to share with you just a few of their many accomplishments.

• We were the ONLY school district in Blount County to graduate four National Merit Scholars;
• We were the ONLY school district in Blount County to raise overall ACT scores;
  
• We were the ONLY school district in Blount County to offer more than 36 career and technical education program areas of study;
  
• We were the ONLY school district in Blount County to send 12 teams of 26 students to compete at Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), and SkillsUSA national competitions;
  
• We were the ONLY school district in Blount County to provide work-based learning opportunities to 70 students, enabling them to gain valuable job experience and training in local businesses and industry;
  
• We were the ONLY school district in the state to be named to the National Advanced Placement Honor Roll for four consecutive years; and,
  
• We were the ONLY school district in the state to have a gold-medal, nationally recognized SkillsUSA Urban Search and Rescue robotics team.
  

These milestones are only possible with diligent and dedicated faculty and staff members committed to bringing out the best in students and are a true reflection of the quality of our teaching staff.

As we embark upon this 150th year, I am excited to see how we will build upon our successes and work towards an even more promising future for our students. We will continue to implement innovation through our 1:World technology program, providing one electronic device for every student in the district. We will continue to update, maintain and renovate our facilities, which include a request to fund major renovations for our two high schools. We will continue to improve our literacy and numeracy skills through engaging, student-focused programs. And we will continue to listen to local job demands while providing relevant and meaningful courses for ALL of our students.

These goals are easily attainable if we continue to foster a culture based on care, love and service—three foundations of any successful school system. In order to do that, we must all work closely together, ensuring that our commitment to educational excellence for your child will continue to be steadfast and unwavering.

Wishing everyone a positive and productive year,