Scott County program converts Toyota grant into ESL Academy, newcomer liaison role

Jennifer Tackett, the district’s community and business liaison and Driving Possibilities project manager, told the Scott County Board of Education that the local program builds on a national Toyota initiative to expand hands-on STEM, transportation supports, language access and community connections.

"My name is Jennifer Tackett. I'm the community and business liaison and the driving possibilities project manager for Scott County Schools," she said in her presentation, outlining career connections, mobility and language supports targeted to the Georgetown feeder pattern.

The program produced a newcomer liaison position that Tackett introduced to the board: Abby Deloia, who described the ESL Academy she now runs. "My name is Abby Deloia, and I am the district EL newcomer liaison for Scott County Schools," Deloia said. She told the board the Academy’s goals are to "connect, support, and empower families," and described practical supports: meetings held at the public library, a meal provided at each session, information in English and Spanish, and a Google Meet option for remote participation.

Deloia reviewed the academy’s topics and attendance: sessions have covered enrollment, school policies, testing and adult-education options; meeting attendance ranged from roughly 19 to more than 70 participants on different nights. She said community partners have included Bluegrass Community and Technical College (BCTC), Credit Union representatives, Amen House, and the Scott County Public Library, whose staff gave tours and explained services such as Imagination Library, a program that supplies free books to children under 5.

Board members asked how staff reach families who do not use email. Deloia said many families use WhatsApp and that she created school-specific WhatsApp groups to send messages and invitations.

Tackett and Deloia framed the work as early-stage but growing: the district hosts monthly topics selected by parents, and Deloia invited the board and the public to the next meeting, which will include a presentation on school safety and mental-health resources.

Why it matters: the program is intended to reduce language and transportation barriers and to link families to education and adult-learning opportunities that board members said can increase students’ access to CTE and STEM pathways. The presentation emphasized community partnerships and local delivery rather than creating new service lines within the district.

The board did not vote on the ESL Academy during this meeting; the presentation served as an update and an invitation for board members to observe future sessions.