Alliance schools honors longtime educator, current board member Elayne Dunlap with library

Alliance Review
·1 min read
Elayne Dunlap adds books to the Little Free Library that Alliance City Schools installed in Dunlap's honor at Alliance Preschool. Dunlap, currently a member of the Alliance City Schools Board of Education, was a teacher in the school district for more than 30 years.
Elayne Dunlap adds books to the Little Free Library that Alliance City Schools installed in Dunlap's honor at Alliance Preschool. Dunlap, currently a member of the Alliance City Schools Board of Education, was a teacher in the school district for more than 30 years.

Visitors to Alliance Preschool likely have noticed a new feature that is dedicated to longtime educator and current Alliance City Schools Board Member Elayne Dunlap.

The district recently dedicated a Little Free Library to Dunlap, in honor of her more than 30 years of service to Alliance City Schools and its students.

Dunlap worked more than 30 years as an educator in Alliance schools, teaching first through eighth grade before joining the central office for the remainder of her career.

Retirement didn’t slow Dunlap. She’s currently serving her second term on the Alliance City Schools Board of Education.

Alliance City Schools installed a new Little Free Library at Alliance Preschool in honor of retired educator and current ACS Board of Education member Elayne Dunlap. Showing off the library are, from Left: Kirk Heath, ACS treasurer; Adam De Monte, principal of Alliance Preschool; Michelle Balderson, director of elementary education; Dunlap; and Rob Gress, ACS superintendent.

“Elayne has been a steadfast role model for me and numerous other educators in Alliance and throughout Stark County,” said Superintendent Rob Gress. “Throughout her career she has proven that leadership is about influence, not about titles. In her role as a teacher, she has influenced countless students and adults in a very positive way.”

This honor is one of many Dunlap has received in recent months. This past spring, she received the Lifetime Educator Award from the Stark County Education Service Center. The award goes each year to one Stark County educator who has shown great dedication to the schools and students.

The Little Free Library will ensure families of the district’s youngest students have access to books at all times.

“Every child. Every day. Enjoying reading,” Dunlap said. “The sharing library is an outreach project to promote literacy and encourage lifelong learning.”

The Little Free Library at Alliance Preschool will offer students and community members the chance to pick out a free book to read. Alliance City Schools installed the library and dedicated it to retired educator and current ACS School Board member Elayne Dunlap. The library is intended to encourage reading in the youngest grades, but also is a handy donation spot for those hoping to share children's books in the community.

School district officials say community members are welcome to take a book to enjoy with their little one or to add books for others to enjoy. Dunlap said she plans to help keep the library stocked and hopes others will help, too.

This article originally appeared on The Alliance Review: Alliance schools honors longtime educator Elayne Dunlap with library