This is the time of year that school boards across the state receive a better idea of SEEK funding from the state and include that data in their working budget for the current school year. But circumstances are a little different in Kentucky this year.

The Wayne County Board of Education approved a working budget for the 2011-12 school year, during its meeting on September 19. But the budget is basically the same as the tentative one the board approved several months ago, totaling approximately $21.4 million.

Superintendent John Dalton explained to the board that normally school districts get more accurate data each September regarding SEEK funding for the year, but recently the Kentucky Department of Education announced that no more SEEK funding forecasts will be available until March.

Dalton noted that the school district is used to operating with more finite numbers at this time of year, but he told board members that the working budget is a conservative one that will allow the district to make any adjustments necessary if SEEK funding decreases.

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Gabe and Matt Drake are healthy, active 13-year-olds. The identical twins are eighth graders at Wayne County Middle School.

Meeting them today, it’s hard to imagine how tiny they were when they were born on December 1, 1997. Gabe weighed two pounds and Matt weighed one pound, 12 ounces.

The boys, along with their parents, Philip and Jennifer Drake, will share their story with the community in the next couple of weeks, as they serve as Ambassadors for Wayne County’s March for Babies.

The annual walking event, which raises money for March of Dimes, is set for Saturday, October 8 at 11 a.m. Eastern Time at the Steubenville Baptist Church.

“We are glad to have this opportunity,” said Jennifer Drake, Gabe and Matt’s mother, as she talked about the twins’ role in this year’s event. “They were excited to be representatives for March for Babies.”

Both Jennifer and her husband, Philip, who is pastor at the Steubenville Baptist Church, know how important a role March of Dimes played in the survival of their premature twins.

Research by March of Dimes has helped many small babies survive.

For example, research has led to the use of surfeiting, which helps develop the lungs of babies born very early.

The Drakes were living near Louisville when Gabe and Matt were born. They were already new parents of daughter Kayla, who was born in March of 1997. Soon, Jennifer was expecting the twins. But they arrived much sooner than anyone expected.

Jennifer was 26 weeks into her pregnancy when she went into labor.

The twins were born at nearby Kosair Children’s Hospital in Louisville, where they spent several weeks developing and growing.

Jennifer said that doctors told her the boys had a 50-50 chance of survival when they were born.

But the boys did well.

“They shared the nursery with other babies who were not quite as fortunate,” said Jennifer.

Often, she and her husband would visit the NICU and find babies who were in life or death situations.

The hospital stay ended for Gabe in late February. Matt stayed until the second day of March. Then, the Drakes had the twins and their daughter home. And it was a lot like having triplets, recalled Jennifer.

“It was challenging having three in diapers,” she said.

While the boys look exactly alike, they have very distinct personalities, according to their mom.

Matt is a little more laid back while Gage is a little more boisterous. Both are active in their church youth group. They both like music.

The Drake family have lived in Wayne County for about two years now, moving here in 2009 when Philip became pastor at the Steubenville Baptist Church.

They came to Wayne County from Alabama, where he had pastored a church there for about three years.

This marks the first time the Drakes have been involved with the March for Babies, and they are looking forward to the event.

“We’re just glad to have this opportunity,” said Jennifer. “We want to encourage everyone to come out and support the March of Dimes…It’s a good cause.”

Anyone who would like more information about this year’s walk should contact Michelle Wesley at (606) 679-6514 or toll free at 1-877-424-2144.