PULASKI, Va. – Pulaski County Public Schools and the YMCA of Pulaski County have partnered together for an incentive-based program, where if kids show up to school, and get good grades, they can get a free, or reduced membership at the YMCA.
“Everything that we offer they can enjoy for free if they achieve both of those things,” said David Adkins, CEO of the YMCA of Pulaski County
If students in middle and high schools can make a 3.0 GPA and miss less than four days of school every nine weeks, they get a free membership to the Pulaski County YMCA.
If they only meet one of the requirements, the student gets a half-off discount on their membership.
“There was great improvement this past year, over school years before and we wanted to maintain that and give kids an incentive,” Adkins said.
He said they already work closely with Pulaski County Public Schools, but they wanted to offer something for the older kids in the county.
“Mr. Graham and I had said, ‘What can we do for the middle school and high school?’” Adkins said.
The superintendent of Pulaski County Public Schools, Rob Graham, said this program is a great way to help solve some of the issues of chronic absenteeism, and reward kids for working hard every day at school.
“We reduced our chronic absenteeism rate last year and increased attendance and I think this will going to have a significant impact for this year,” Graham said.
He said this helps families financially too.
“If you have a family of four from 6th grade to seniors, you’re saving a lot of money,” Graham said.
The program will officially start after the first nine weeks of school.
Leaders said they are working on a plan for when schools go on break.