Area 30 on track for 2014-15 enrollment

The Area 30 Career Center board met for a short time on Tuesday morning to discuss upcoming enrollment as well as several upcoming events, which involve many of its students.

Assistant Director Chad Nunley came before the board to give an update on the preliminary enrollment numbers for the 2014-15 school year.

Nunley advised the board that there are currently 263 students enrolled through two-and-a-half schools.

"We're on track to get back up to what our normal enrollment number is," Nunley said. "We have two schools that we really don't have any students from yet. Those would be Cloverdale and Eminence and we're about half way with South Putnam."

It was also noted that the two schools that currently do not have any or a very small amount of students registered are also those that will soon be completing a job shadow day at Area 30.

"All the programs are filling up and hopefully we'll be very similar to what we are this year," Nunley said.

With two schools still left to register, Nunley noted that Area 30 is slightly concerned with the amount of students that have already registered for its nursing program.

"Nursing is bursting already, which concerns us a little bit," Nunley said. "We're going to have to do some work there. We already have 42 enrolled in there."

Board member also discussed the idea of schools coming either afternoons or mornings. However, Executive Director Lora Busch advised that if schools were to do a half days the students would be the ones who suffered.

"The students would miss opportunities that are available to them either in the morning or afternoon," Busch explained. "That's the hard part. I think opening up the driving for students has made it somewhat easier because, should they need to get back for a class, then they can get themselves back a little earlier. Flexibility is the name of the game here."

In other business:

* Busch advised the board that she will be attending the Indiana Association of Career and Technical Education summer conference from June 9-11. The conference will be held in Brown County and paid through Carl D. Perkins funds.

* The board approved the culinary arts team to attend the national competition held in Minneapolis. Students will depart Area 30 on May 2 and return on May 6. There will be four students and four adults attending.

* Dave Archer of the Putnam County Community Foundation presented a check to Busch for $544 to go toward Area 30's scholarship fund.

* Area 30's Senior Awards Program will take place on Thursday, May 15 from 12:30-2 p.m. at the Dixie Chopper Air Hotel and Convention Center.

* On Wednesday April 24, Area 30 will be conducting a fundraiser at Monical's Pizza, 29 Putnam Plaza, to help send Tommy Suddarth to the SkillsUSA National Conference and Championships in Kansas City in June. Monical's Pizza will donate 20 percent of each check to Area 30 Skills USA, when accompanied by a flyer. Additional proceeds will go towards SkillsUSA student sponsorship/registrations fees for the 2014-15 school year.