Phil Rowland, the grandfather of a 1st grade student at Perryville Elementary (Boyle County), shares a story during the school’s Grandparents Week celebration. Photo courtesy Jenna Blair
As the principal of Perryville Elementary School, entering my sixth year in this role and 15th in the Boyle County school district, I have always believed in the power of relationships. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand how a strong school community, rooted in trust, collaboration and family partnerships, can change the trajectory for our students. That belief drove us to take on the Family Friendly Schools certification process, a challenge that has reshaped how we engage with families and strengthened the core of who we are as a school.
Inspiration from Across the State
The decision to launch this initiative at Perryville was sparked by the success I observed in the Washington County School District, where my sister, Robin Cochran, is the superintendent. It served as a powerful source of inspiration. Their team had recently earned Gold status through the Prichard Committee’s Family Friendly Schools initiative, and it was clear that the intentional focus on partnerships with families was making a lasting impact. I knew this was something we needed at Perryville.
Why Family Engagement Matters
We began this work because we saw the incredible value in aligning our efforts across the Family Resource Center, Title I, and school leadership. Each of these areas plays a vital role in the life of a school, and when we work together, they form a powerful system of support for our students and families. To me, it was like assembling a puzzle: when every piece fits, our entire school community grows stronger.
From Vision to Action
We established a Family Friendly Advisory Council made up of our Family Resource Director, teachers, parents and community members. Together, we assessed our current practices and set clear goals for where we wanted to grow. While we’re incredibly proud of achieving Gold status, we recognize it as just one milestone in an ongoing journey. Our mission, shared across the district, is simple but powerful: Kids come first. And we know we can’t truly put students first without putting families at the heart of what we do.
What Gold Status Means to Us
Earning Gold status validated the hard work our staff and families had already been doing—and helped us deepen that work in intentional ways. The rubric provided by the Prichard Committee served as a clear roadmap. It wasn’t just a checklist; it became a guide to real, lasting improvement.
Through training sessions, family engagement events and revised communication strategies, we’ve built stronger relationships with the people who matter most in our students’ lives. It has taken time, reflection, and some difficult changes, but the results are already visible.
Growth Through Change
The certification process wasn’t necessarily easy, but it was absolutely worth it. We had to revise our parent compact, rethink our communication strategies, improve outreach to multilingual families, revamp our parent-teacher conferences, and become more intentional about social media and family events. While that may sound like a long list, each of those changes has brought us closer to the families we serve and made our school a better place to learn and grow.
Sustaining the Momentum
This work isn’t just a one-time project; it’s a cultural shift. At Perryville, we’re keeping the momentum going through ongoing professional development, collaboration with other schools and integrating family engagement into our professional learning community work. Our district is incredibly supportive, and our schools are already implementing the practices needed for Gold status; it’s simply a matter of following the guidance and completing the application process to receive the recognition they deserve.
A Changed School, A Stronger Community
So how has our school changed? We’re more intentional. More inclusive. More connected. Our families are more engaged. Our staff feels more equipped and supported. And most importantly, our students are benefitting from a stronger, more unified school community.
The Family Friendly Schools initiative has shown us what’s possible, and we’re not done yet. Our work is just getting started, and we’re excited to continue implementing changes that will strengthen our school’s partnership with families and the community.
Jenna Blair is the principal of Perryville Elementary School (Boyle County).
The Family Friendly Schools Certification is awarded by the Prichard Committee after applications are reviewed and scored by a working group of families, educators and community organizations. The group is focused on increasing open communication, learning opportunities and shared decision-making power across the Kentucky education system.
For more details on the Family Friendly Schools Certification, visit the Prichard Committee’s Family Engagement website.
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