Beth Rumsey, Staff Writer

Bradley Street, director of the Southeastern Career Center, updated the board of directors on the five year plan for the vocational district concerning Project Lead the Way at the monthly meeting held on Wednesday, March 12. According to Street, a request for the grant from the Department of Workforce Development is due by April 18. He requested that each school appoint a representative to fill out the applications. Street also stated that the grant will give each school $20,000 for the first year; $15,000 for the next two years; and $10,000 thereafter. These funds will help to off-set the costs for the equipment and curriculum necessary for the Project Lead the Way program.

Those schools interested in implementing an Advanced Manufacturing program were urged to speak to their community foundations and plant the seed. Each community foundation received $900,000 from the Heritage Fund towards education in the health care, tourism, or economic development courses. According to Street, the equipment and curriculum will cost about $100,000. This still is in the planning stages for most of the schools in the vocational district, and will not be available for several years.

The board received two appraisals for the Building Trades project house and unanimously agreed to advertise the project house at the average of the two appraisals. An open house will be held, with the date to be determined. “It’s a very nice house,” said Street. One appraisal came in at $142,000 and the other was $145,000.
In other business:

• The second year cosmetology class received permission to attend the Bodies exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center.

• The following Adult Education contracts were approved: Deborah Williams, GED instructor at the Arvin Sango site; Tricia Johnson, for the adult evening computer class and Tom Lovins for the adult evening welding class.

• The school calendar was approved. The cosmetology start date will be August 6, 2008 and the first student day on August 12.

The next board of managers meeting will be held on April 9 at 9 a.m. at the Southeastern Career Center.