Area 30 cancels GRASP contract

Area 30 Career Center board of directors decided at their meeting on Tuesday to cancel the contract between the center and the Generating Responsibility Through an Alternative to Suspension Placement program.

GRASP is a program mandated by the school corporations through the court system for students assigned to serve an out-of-school suspension.

The program has not been done away with all together. All Putnam County high schools -- North Putnam, South Putnam, Cloverdale and Greencastle -- will now handle all out-of-school suspensions and GRASP participants, so Area 30 no longer needs to carry a contract with the GRASP program.

Students who participate in the program spend time out of school performing community service and completing their homework under supervision of GRASP personnel.

Also at the meeting, Area 30 executive director Lora Wood announced that Spencer/Owen schools will withdraw from Area 30 in 2010 -- which will mean a 36-student loss the center will have to find a way to make up for. It will not affect Area 30 until the 2010-2011 school year.

Wood did not disclose a reason for the withdrawal decision.

Wood told the board four Area 30 students competed in a Skills USA contest at Vincennes University recently.

Cloverdale High School student Kevin Cassida won first place in computer maintenance technology. The win earned him a scholarship to V.U.