Penta Career Center is seeing a strong start to the 2023-24 school year, even before it starts.
At the March 7 board of education meeting, Director Ryan Lee said enrollment numbers are healthy, noting that to date the school has received applications from 613 juniors and 205 sophomores.
Mr. Lee noted junior programs with the largest number of applications are small animal care and welding, 47, one away from the maximum number that can be accepted.
They are followed by cosmetology, 46; culinary arts, 41; medical technologies, 40, and information technologies, 33.
Construction carpentry, construction remodeling, criminal justice, dental assistant and heating and air conditioning technology have all reached their maximum enrollment for juniors.
Superintendent Ed Ewers is pleased with the numbers. “Enrollment continues to grow, and we are right on target with projections.”
He said Penta is aligned with the trend of more students enrolling in vocational education.
“It’s an exciting time to be in career tech,” he added.
According to the Fordham Institute, in 2021-22, 45,304 students were enrolled in career technical education at one of 49 vocational districts statewide.
But higher numbers at Penta lead to a new issue. “As our numbers are growing everywhere, we continue to look at how to accommodate those students whether they are on campus or off at one of our satellite programs,” Mr. Ewers said. “We are looking at short- and long-term solutions.”
In addition, Penta continues to review its program offerings, meeting with business leaders on a regular basis to discuss trends and needs in different fields.
“Stay tuned. There will be more to come,” he concluded.
In other business, the board:
•Adjusted fiscal year 2023 appropriations to reflect receipt of three grants: ARO Homeless Target Support, $16,500; Carl Perkins, $30,000, and Ohio K-12 School Safety, $100,000.
•Authorized the transfer of $191,558 from the general fund to the food service fund to cover the cost of lunches for students during the first semester of the school year.
The district covered the cost of 52,932 full price lunches and 7,779 reduced cost meals.
•Accepted the resignation of Karin Smigelski as secretary and hired her as an administrative assistant. starting April 1.
They also accepted Joshua Sandwisch’s resignation as assistant supervisor, hiring him as a supervisor, beginning July 1.
•Approved the employment of Ricardo Lopez Escobar, substitute bus/van driver; Keverne Van Dorp, cafeteria worker; Sonia Herman, curriculum supervisor, effective July 1, Erik Johnson, supervisor, starting July 1.
In addition, they hired as part-time adult education instructors Joy Allison, Larry Pollock and Bruce Tarrant, $31 per hour, and Michelle Roe, part-time adult education, $33 per hour, all through June 30.
•Reaffirmed a policy pertaining to retirement. Last updated in 2020, the policy is being updated to include a number of new positions, explained Mr. Ewers.
•Heard from Marshall Wolf that the Drug Free Club has 136 students and continues to grow.
He noted the club was created in response to employers who are having trouble finding workers who can pass their drug screening.
Participants are tested at the beginning of the school year and at random throughout the year. Those who successfully complete the program receive a certificate which allows them to waive testing by a prospective employer, he explained.
If a student tests positive at any time, their parents are informed and provided with options to help the student. If the student declines, they are removed from the club and no other disciplinary action is taken, Mr. Wolf said.
•Learned that a mock interview day will be held with more than 100 employers coming to the Penta campus to work with students on their interview skills.
•Heard from Kevin Baker, supervisor of operations, about plans to renovate the cosmetology lab and refresh the culinary restaurant.
He noted cosmetology is already testing out new cabinetry to see how it wears and handles spills such as solutions applied during permanents.
In the restaurant, he plans to change out carpet, lighting, tables and apply a fresh coat of paint.
•Received an update from Mr. Baker on the solar field on campus. Last year, he said the solar array saved $45,000 to $55,000.
Coupled with other energy saving components such as updated lighting, the district is “operating cheaper today than we did in 2009.”
•Heard from Carrie Herringshaw that some changes were made to investments in January and February to take advantage of higher interest rates.
•Approved 12 requests to attend professional meetings.
The next board of education meeting will be at 5:15 p.m., Wednesday, April 12, in the board room of the career center, 9301 Buck Road, Perrysburg Township. The meeting is open to the public.
