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Family, community, and business support The Kannapolis C~ty School D~strict ~s a leader ,n reaching out to partners to improve education for children. Next week, Kannapolis C~ty Schools will become the FIRST school district in North Carohna to partner with Dell Computers in ~ts nationally recognized TechKnow program. KCS wdl jo~n New York C~ty, Denver, Houston, M~ami, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Orlando, and eight other major cities in the TechKnow Program. Congressman Robin Hayes has worked w~th Dell to bring the program to North Carolina, and he chose Kannapohs City Schools to launch the program because of our system's reputation for excellence, efficiency, and community cooperation He praised our staff and performance and said he was conwnced our system could create the most successful start for TechKnow in North Carohna. The TechKnow program g~ves middle school students who don't have home access to computers a chance to learn technical skdls as well as earn a free computer and Internet access. Students selected for the program complete a 40-hour after-school program that teaches them how to mampulate and repair computers. They also s~gn an agreement to keep up their grades, attendance, and behavior If they meet the requirements and graduate from the course, they get a free computer to take home and a year's worth of free Internet access. Besides Dell, KCS is partnenng with Wachowa, Time Warner Cable, CT Communications, the Cabarrus Regional Chamber of Commerce, and other businesses in order to make the program possible. The Kannapolis C~ty School District p~oneered the Champions in Schools program, which matches community volunteers w~th students who need help to ~mprove their reading skills. The program received the North Carohna School Public Relations Association's highest award for excellence ~n community and pubhc relations KCS also strongly involves parents in the education of their chddren. School staff members make home visits to parents who cannot provide their own transportation to school, and they meet personally with all parents at least once during the year to discuss the progress of students. Effective and Efficient Operation The Kannapolis City School District takes ~ts responsibility to the public seriously. We are extremely responsible and efficient in spending our money. We consistently complete our building projects on t~me and w~thin budget. We consistently have clean audits from our accountants, and we have won praise from the North Carohna Department of Pubhc Instruction for our effectiveness in meeting financial and transportation goals. KCS is very aggressive in seeking private grants and partnerships to supplement our public funds. Our prestigious Cyber Campus was funded almost entirely through private donations and partnerships. Our TechKnow program is funded through partnerships We have received numerous private grants that have helped us fund worthwhile services for our students such as summer pre-school programs, advanced science equipment, and a health program designed to prevent heart d~sease, obesity, and diabetes ~n children. We also helped start the Kannapolis Education Foundation, which provides funding for additional technology and ~nstructional supplies for Kannapolis City Schools Our success in gaining private funding, however, does not mean that we can survive with less public funding. It simply shows that we are committed to making the best use of our resources and to doing all we can to help our children succeed. We stdl require sufficient public funds to g~ve our students an excellent education The Kannapohs City School District is known for ~ts exemplary customer service. We are very responsive, and we work hard to g~ve ~nd~vidual ~nstruction to our students and personal attention to our community. One of our unique features is our Schools of Choice option. If parents can provide transportation and we have room at our schools,