By Justin Fortney
Special to Guthrie News Page
(With the bond election coming up soon, I thought it would be interesting to sit down with the principals at some of the Guthrie schools and get their perspectives on education in Guthrie. What I ended up hearing were some great stories about how the community has come together to make sure Guthrie kids get some really unique opportunities. – Justin Fortney)
Each summer Guthrie Schools’ maintenance staff work to fix the necessary stuff, but with budgets tight, there’s not a lot left over for many beautification projects. This year Fogarty Elementary’s Principal Marsha Todd has seen the community come together to make the campus a place the students can be proud of.
“It’s not fair to ask our students to take pride in their school if we don’t rally together and do the same,” said Todd.
This year’s projects have mostly involved something as simple as paint. Some dedicated parents, teachers, and even students have begun throwing a fresh coat over some old, drab walls. Generous donations of paint from Smith Gallo Funeral Home and supplies from Ace Hardware have enabled the painting volunteers to begin transforming their school.
Todd’s focus on pride of place is contagious, and she’s seeing more projects in the works. “Fogarty used to be a junior high, so it takes some work to make it actually feel like an Elementary – a place where the younger kids really get excited to come to.”
Music teacher Deborah Vogt received a grant to have the stage area painted, and Principal Todd hopes to see the old WPA-built auditorium’s regal nature come back to life. “It’s such a cool room, and hopefully some paint and extra cleaning can do wonders,” she said.
Mercy Hospital Logan County has also volunteered to help with a landscaping project outside the school and will be cleaning out the shrub areas later this month. With a little bit of TLC, Todd hopes that students and teachers can utilize the outdoors for more learning activities.
The dedication of parents, teachers, and community members is bringing the Fogarty building to life.
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