Referencing an ambitious goal set by Greenwood School Board member Bill Clay last week, Dr. V.K. Chawla told the board Tuesday that he is willing to help the school district in whatever way they see fit.
Clay announced during last week’s Greenwood Rotary Club meeting that he wants the district to be a star school district — the highest rating the state gives — and Chawla, a local entrepreneur and philanthropist, took that goal to heart.
Chawla moved to Greenwood from Canada in 1977. His business, Chawla Enterprises, owns and operates 15 hotels in the Delta. His two sons were educated in the Greenwood Public Schools.
“I read an article about what Mr. Clay said. We are not going to get an A-grade distinction tomorrow ... but however we can help, we will,” Chawla announced.
After the meeting, which ended with Chawla’s ambitious show of support for the district, Dr. Jennifer Wilson, interim superintendent for the district, said Chawla had approached her last week with an offer to help.
“He asked me to get him information about the district and to meet with the principals of all the schools to discuss what we need,” she explained.
Wilson said she and Chawla planned to meet again today to come up with a more comprehensive way to allocate his energy. Chawla did not specify what kind of help he was willing to give. Instead, he said the school district had given his family and his business support over the years, and he looked forward to giving the district his support in return.
Also Tuesday, the board:
• Approved a plan that will further implement technological improvements in the district. An “acceptable use policy” is included in the plan to ensure that students do not abuse access to the Internet and other educational resources.
• Agreed to pay 10 percent of the funding needed for an update to the district’s in-school communication devices.
• Announced an all-day college financial aid workshop, scheduled for Feb. 23. Students and families will be able to get help filling out Free Applications for Federal Student Aid. A $250 scholarship door prize will be awarded.
• Announced that the district has applied for a $250,000 drop-out prevention grant from the state. If selected, the district would use the funds to target middle school students at risk of dropping out of school.
• Announced that the district is one of eight in Mississippi to be named a “district of innovation,” according to the recently passed House Bill 118. The bill allows “districts of innovation” to skirt certain regulations if they are engaging in innovative educational practices. Greenwood Public Schools was selected because of its “excellence for all” initiative — a program to be implemented next fall that will allow for early graduation for motivated students.
• Contact Jeanie Riess at 581-7235 or jriess@gwcommonwealth.com.
