West Elementary School in Russellville serves approximately 720 students, and 44 percent of their students are non-native English speaking students who are trying to keep up with their classmates.

The Northwest Alabama Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council donated $1,584 in grant money to purchase books and prizes that will fuel a reading incentive program including “Celebrity Authors” and “Pawsome Readers”.

“I wish to help foster a genuine love and excitement for reading,” explained Jennifer Warhurst, former reading/instructional coach at West Elementary School.

“Providing the exposure and access to various selected texts will be a positive incentive program for our students and teachers and is necessary in furthering the rigorous academic goals of Alabama’s College and Career Readiness Standards.”

Roger Hayes, chairman of the Northwest Alabama RC&D Council, said that RC&D recognizes how important it is for students to be actively involved in reading.

“The RC&D Council is passionate about education, and we know that making reading fun now will lead to a higher success rate for all of the students that are exposed to this excellent program,” Hayes said.

Hayes also expressed his appreciation to Senator Roger Bedford as well as Representative Johnny Morrow for their excellent representation of this area and their continued support for the RC&D in the state legislature.