Area 30 eyes an upswing in enrollment

Friday, July 7, 2006

By ASHLEY HARDIN ~ Staff Writer

Enrollment is up at the Area 30 Career Center.

Executive director Michael Walton said at the board's monthly meeting Friday that many of the individual schools' enrollment in the programs were up. Cloverdale's enrollment went up the most by 19 students. The enrollment for Greencastle and South Putnam had also gone up. Spencer-Owen's enrollment had dropped but is expected to go back up when school is back in session.

Therefore, the more students the program has, the lower the cost to them.

This year's proposed budget was based on 375 students. Each school pays their total based on the percent of students they have. Greencastle and North Putnam have the most with 27.20 percent and 22.13 percent.

Next is South Putnam with 19.73 percent and Cloverdale with 14.40 percent. Owen Valley and Eminence have 10.41 percent and 6.13 percent respectively.

This means that Greencastle will be paying $555,669.14 and North Putnam will pay $471,814.42. South Putnam will pay $431,654.99 while Cloverdale will pay $335,704.34. Spencer-Owen is the only school to have the amount they pay drop significantly from the previous year. They will pay $271,656. Eminence will pay $186,718.95.

The budget also included a new section for a retirement fund. This would be the first year for the proposed $40,000 fund.

The grand total of the proposed budget was $2,653,701.84.

"Basically, it's not that far from the budget we had last year," Walton said in reference to the $2,647,775.34 budget of 2005-06.

New officers were also voted for on Friday.

Marsha Turner-Shear was voted in as the new secretary, Bruce Bernhardt became the vice president and Murray Pride was approved as the new president to replace Greencastle superintendent Robert Green.

"The torch has passed," said Green. "Murray, it's yours!"

In other business, the board:

-- Approved 2006-07 meetings to take place on the second Tuesday of each month with a 10 a.m. executive session followed by the 10:30 a.m. Board of Directors meeting.

-- Approved to appoint Larry J. Gesse as attorney, Nancy Marlow as treasurer and Cindy Burnham as deputy treasurer.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing officers to execute grant agreements between the Indiana Department of Workforce Development and Area 30 Career Center.

-- Approved a resolution authorizing the issuance of a lease agreement between Area 30 career Center and Old National Bank to purchase technology equipment and matters related thereto.

-- Approved a permanent pay increase of $2,500 for Cindy Burnham for the acceptance of increased job responsibilities and functions for the corporate treasurer.

"We have a very capable person in Cindy and her knowledge," Walton said.

-- Approved the hiring of Holly Green as Child Care Assistant Director and the termination of Melissa Brown as Child Care Co-Director.

-- Approved several vocational programs for Spencer-Owen.

-- Approved financial reports for July.

-- Heard the executive director's report on Work Keys Assessment. Walton recently heard about the success of this test in Terre Haute. The Work Keys Assessment can be taken by a senior who did not pass the graduation qualifying exam and used as a waiver. The assessment will be given to all seniors at Area 30 and all juniors in the high schools.

-- Heard from Vicky Archer, the ABE/GED/Literacy coordinator on adult funding support. She asked the board for their endorsement for keeping the adult basic education funding with the Indiana Department of Adult Education. Indiana's 2006 Strategic Economic Development Plan is suggesting the funding be turned over to the Department of Workforce Development. She said the adult education program does not feel as if this plan would be beneficial to the citizens they serve.