Goochland’s Byrd Elementary School has been named a Virginia Title 1 Distinguished School for the second straight year.

BES, one of 110 schools in the state to receive such recognition, received an additional $13,658 from the federal government’s Title 1 program for use in reading improvement programs.

“The Byrd staff and community have worked hard over the past years to move BES to high levels of achievement for all students,” wrote Goochland Superintendent of Schools Linda Underwood in an email to The Gazette.

“I just got the email last week with the notification that we have once again been named a Title 1 Distinguished School,” said James Hopkins, who is now in his eleventh year as principal of Byrd Elementary.

Hopkins explained that BES is the only Title 1 elementary school in the county.

Goochland Middle School is also a Title 1 school.

The designation is determined by the percentage of a school’s students who are eligible, based on family income levels, for free or reduced lunch programs.

And although the school qualifies based on the income levels of some its students, any student in need of reading remediation can take advantage of Title 1 programs, said Hopkins.

BES currently has two Title 1 reading teachers, Margaret Dickerson and Sandy Kasch.

The award money will be used for staff development to further enhance the school’s ability to improve students’ reading skills, said Hopkins, who said he would be speaking with Tina McCay, Interim Elementary Education and Title I Specialist, about how to best use the award money.

“We really want to make sure when they leave Byrd they have a really strong foundation in literacy,” said Hopkins of his hopes for his students.

“It’s the key to life and success,” said Dickerson when asked about the importance of reading.

Hopkins, a 1978 Goochland High School graduate, said reading was critical to him as a youngster.

“I experienced so many things through reading,” said Hopkins. “I traveled the world by reading.”

Kasch shared Hopkins’ and Dickerson’s conviction about the importance of reading in a young student’s education.

“We have the best job in the world,” said Kasch. “We get to teach children to read!”