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| Garfield Mid School Library Dedicated |
May 05, 2003 |
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Wilson Secured $50,000 for Library Books
Albuquerque, NM – Congresswoman Heather Wilson was on hand today as the new and improved Garfield Middle School Library was dedicated to that school’s first principal. The Walter L. McNutt Library took about 1 ½ years to build and is stocked today with books purchased using federal funds Wilson secured for the school.
Wilson secured $50,000 for the school in 2002, after learning of the school’s involvement in the Accelerated Reader program and their desperate need for library books. Before Wilson’s involvement, the library averaged 7 to 8 books per student, which was considered sub-standard. Federal funding helped the school purchase close to 4,000 books, bringing the average to 13 to 14 books per mid-schooler.
McNutt, the new library’s namesake, served Garfield Middle School’s student population as their principal from 1950 to 1972. Today, school officials say, they have dozens of 3rd and 4th generation students.
“A large portion of Mr. McNutt’s life was dedicated to education and to this school,” says Wilson. “It’s fitting to honor him with this center of learning and reading.”
“Some of our kids today, their great-great-grandparents attended this school with Mr. McNutt as their principal,” says David Johnson, who today serves as the school’s principal. “Really, he was one of the foundations of this neighborhood in his day, and today everybody continues to know who Mr. McNutt was.”
“I’m really pleased to have played a part in today’s dedication of Garfield’s new library,” says Wilson. “Reading can take our kids to so many new worlds, and can open so many doors for our students. This is important.”
“We wouldn’t have been able to stock our new library this well if it hadn’t been for Heather Wilson’s help,” says Johnson. “We just couldn’t have done it on our own. She came to our school and asked us what we needed. And she took it to heart. Our community and our students are now better for it.”
Garfield has participated in this nationally-recognized reading enhancement program, called Accelerated Reader, for four years. Students are tested for reading ability, then required to read books at their level until computerized testing shows advancement to the next level. Garfield dedicates a 35 minute homeroom period to this reading program, intended to teach, encourage, and maintain daily reading practices. Until Wilson’s help, the school lacked enough books to adequately serve the school’s student population.
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