Nannette Johnston

Nannette Johnston

Dynamic educational partnerships and strong community, family, staff and student support have made the Hardin County school district home of endless opportunities.

One example is the Hardin County Early College and Career Center. Also known as EC3, the Early College and Career Center fulfills several roles. High school students use the center to take courses in health science, engineering, advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, welding, information technology, culinary arts and early college. Four Western Kentucky University distance-learning classrooms also are located in EC3 where Hardin County students have the opportunity to take dual-credit classes and walk to the local campus for classes. EC3 students are afforded articulated credit opportunities through Western and other postsecondary institutions like Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, Sullivan University and Spencerian College.

For the second consecutive school year, the district has earned Proficient status in state accountability assessments placing it in the state’s top 17 percent of districts. Two of the district’s high schools are in the state’s top four percent and the other one grew its scores 62-percentage points and finished in the state’s top 16 percent of high schools.

Hardin County also is giving seniors an opportunity to earn a Work Ethic Certification. Students must meet certain requirements that prove they are ready to walk into the real world. It is a partnership between the district and Hardin County Chamber of Commerce that uses a curriculum called “Lead 100”, which was designed and created specifically for Hardin County by Western.

Celebrating her 32nd year with the Hardin County school district, Superintendent Nannette Johnston is extremely proud of the district’s progress.

“I have seen and experienced the positive impact of this district personally and on our community,” she said. “We have endless successes noted through our students, faculty and staff. The Hardin County Schools Early College and Career Center and the Work Ethic Certification program have tremendously increased our momentum. We changed an opportunity gap into what I would call an opportunity-abundance in Hardin County.”