The Troy City Schools and Troy University Partnership Committee met for the final time this school year Thursday.

Representatives from programs such as Global Studies, various departments of Troy University and city school administrators were treated to a mashed potato bar and strawberry sundaes catered by Charles Henderson High School culinary students.

Dan Joslyn, Strategic Planning Consultant to the University and the city schools, addressed the audience while they finished lunch.

“What was the most important thing this partnership has done this year?” Joslyn asked, prompting members to write an answer on a provided index card.

“The second question is what is it you would like to do this coming year?”

Joslyn said the purpose of two-year-old partnership is to explore ways city schools can help the university and vice versa.

“The partnership is going to take on more and more meaning each year,” he told the committee.

TCS Superintendent and committee co-chairman Linda Felton-Smith said the efforts of the group have been constructive.

“It has been an enrichment for our students in K through 12,” she said.

“This partnership helps our goals of our students graduating, college and career ready.”

Felton-Smith also expressed the school districts willingness and commitment to work with the university’s School of Education.

“I want our classrooms to be laboratories for those people those people who want to be teachers,” she said.

The Superintendent added that a solid school system is an important part of community development.

“If we want Troy to grow and prosper we need not just a good school system, but a great school system.”

Some of the methods discussed on how the iniversity and city schools work together included a program where middle school students write letters to university students then meet for a reception, clinical workshops for students in the university’s School of education and Global Studies.

To conclude the meeting the committee boarded a bus and traveled to the location of the new Troy City Board of Education building for a tour.