Course duplicates a concern for Area 30

Adding new courses to diversify career and technical education (CTE) pathways has been done with the intent to give students as many options as possible.

However, this has brought with it a concern that some of these courses might be duplicated between the Area 30 Career Center and its sending schools in Putnam County and Eminence High School.

The Area 30 Interlocal Board of Directors addressed this concern during its regular meeting Tuesday morning. An added consideration is how Area 30 might be required to reconfigure its budgeting dynamics.

Area 30 Director Lora Busch said the career center’s budget does not fluctuate much from year to year. She provided that using a yearly model based on average daily enrollment (ADM) percentages for each sending school would promote consistency.

While he said he liked the model, Greencastle Schools Superintendent Jeff Gibboney said that some course requests for individual sending schools were duplicates of those offered at Area 30.

The issue comes as Area 30 and its sending schools are adding CTE courses to satisfy requirements under the Next Level Programs of Study (NPLS). The overall mindset is that the quality of CTE courses will improve through updated standards for postsecondary certificate programs.

Gibboney stated that he was not opposed to schools having their own individual programs. However, he added that the other school systems should not have to pick up the rest of the expense.

“I think the goal is to be efficient, but (having duplicates) doesn’t work for a career center model,” Gibboney said. Cloverdale Schools Superintendent Greg Linton said it was “a slippery slope.”

“We just have to be cognizant that we have a shared career center,” Busch added in turn. She noted that graphic design, culinary arts and construction courses were being duplicated, but that graphic design posed a challenge with Area 30 potentially increasing its software training.

Despite these concerns, two course requests for South Putnam and North Putnam came before the board. Each was approved by Bernhardt and Linton, while Gibboney and new Eminence Schools Superintendent Kim Tucker were against.

The South Putnam CTE courses included Design Fundamentals, Commercial Photography, Graphic Design and Layout, Computer Science II and Principles of Agriculture.

The North Putnam courses included Principles of Agriculture, Principles of Construction Trades, General Carpentry, Framing and Finishing, Visual Communications Fundamentals, Principles of Visual Communications, Intermediate Photography, Advanced Graphic Design, Principles of Hospitality, Food Theory and Nutrition, Culinary Arts and Principles of Business.

Holding a work session for further discussion was agreed upon by Busch and the board. This has been scheduled for Monday, April 19 at 11 a.m.

In other business:

• The board approved Area 30 moving forward with a three-year lease with GC Fulfillment, LLC, otherwise referred to as Ascena Retail.

• The board approved submitting an inventory form in order to transition the Emergency Medical Technician and Certified Nursing Assistant programs to NLPS.

• The board approving submitting Area 30’s Perkins Grant for 2021-23. Busch said the budget total would be approximately $86,000 and that funds would be used for personnel, materials, contracted services and professional development.

• The board approved the following donations for Area 30’s Fire and Rescue program:

-- Extrication equipment from the Adams and Ashland Townships Volunteer Fire Department (near Eminence);

-- Turnout gear from the Wayne Township and Pike Township fire departments (Indianapolis area); and

-- Air packs from Ivy Tech Community College.

• The board approved the following new hires:

-- Jason Simonson - part-time Fire and Rescue program certified instructor;

-- James Shaw - part-time Fire and Rescue program certified instructor; and

-- Lauren Saffel Day - full-time Culinary Arts/Hospitality and Tourism instructor.

• The board approved to move forward with planning sophomore visits to Area 30 before the end of the school year. Busch said groups would not exceed 75 students at one time.

North Putnam Superintendent Nicole Singer was absent at the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Area 30 Board is scheduled for Tuesday, May 11 at 9 a.m. in the Old National Trail boardroom.