Vantage criminal justice program touted

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent correspondent

Vantage Career Center’s new criminal justice program is attracting the attention of area high school students.

During her report to the Vantage Board of Education last night, Superintendent Staci Kaufman said the course of study is scheduled to begin this fall, and should have sufficient enrollment.

“Over 140 sophomores toured on Wednesday of this week,” Kaufman explained. “We had law enforcement from Van Wert and Paulding counties, and Four County Career Center brought students and their teacher from their criminal justice program to realistically talk to students about what they’re going to be learning.”

“I would expect we’re going to have at least 12 to 15 (students) starting in the criminal justice program,” Kaufman added.”

Vantage Career Center officials are expected to begin the search for a criminal justice instructor this spring.

Also during her report, Kaufman said she and other JVS met with three District 1 state school board members last week to discuss concerns about the state’s JVSD report card.

“We thought they really listened, and it went very well,” Kaufman said.

Treasurer Laura Peters told board members Vantage Career Center recently received a clean audit.

“Kudos to my staff, as well as everyone in the district, because it takes all of them to be able to follow board policy to get that,” Peters said.

Vantage Board members also learned that 30 seventh- and eighth-grade girls attended the recent “Step Into The Future” initiative, designed to introduce girls to non-traditional fields of study.

“The girls got to visit carpentry, welding, network systems and ag, and all those instructors were here that day and gave their time,” Director Tony Unverferth explained.

Unverferth added that feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

In other business during Thursday night’s meeting, the Vantage Career Center Board of Education approved the 2017-2018 school calendar, hired Thomas Zuber as a welding instructor and Michael DeMoss as a truck driving instructor/training manager on an as-needed basis, and approved tax abatements for CJS Holding Group and Prosperity Holding Group of Mercer County, and Baker-Shindler Contracting of Paulding.

The board also went into executive session for an update on the ongoing search for a new superintendent to replace Kaufman, who is retiring in July.

The Vantage Career Center Board will meet in special session at 5:30 p.m. next Thursday, February 9, in the district conference room.