Vantage Bd. sees new Adult Ed. med facilities

DAVE MOSIER/for the VW independent

Vantage Career Center Board of Education members toured the school’s relocated Adult Education medical program space in the Thomas Edison Center and also approved administrative contracts and heard positive enrollment figures during the board’s March meeting on Thursday.

Adult Education Director Angie Fahy first talked about the move, noting the medical program has everything it had in the main Vantage building, along with more room and additional amenities, such as sinks in the labs — something not available in the program’s space in the main Vantage building.

“We’re very happy here; we love it,” she said, adding the Thomas Edison staff has also provided lots of cooperation and care to the program.

Fahy said the program now has a practice lab where students can practice their medical skills, as well as a sim lab, where students are graded on their competency.

Vantage IT Supervisor Luke Compton also talked about how he and his staff ran fiber optic cabling under North Franklin Street to provide the medical program with full integration into the main Vantage computer system, while the program remains completely segregated from the portion of the building used by Thomas Edison Center.

Fahy said the Adult Ed medical program has been a successful one, with 13 programs the past two years, and a total of approximately 70 students. Students also have a 95 percent passage rate on state certification exams.

Treasurer Laura Peters added that, of the approximate $120,000 cost to move the program, $113,000 came from CARES Act funding.

During her report, Peters also noted that certificates of deposit (CDs) renewed recently were at a much higher interest rates — some near or over 2 percent — than in recently years, and expressed optimism that CDs coming up for renewal will continue to garner better rates of interest.

The treasurer also noted an operating levy will be coming up for renewal, adding she will need resolutions to place the tax issue on the ballot in November.

High School Director Mike Knott said the open house on Monday was very successful, with a good attendance from prospective students and their parents.

“It was a hugely successful event,” Knott said, and thanked Miriam Owens and other Vantage staff members for their efforts to make it happen.

Knott also noted that freshman tours will be held next week, and also reported that 349 students have applied, as of Thursday, for next year. That’s compared to approximately 300 two years ago and 200 last year.

“The momentum for career tech is out there, and students are excited for the programs,” he said.

Knott also congratulated Vantage students who qualified for the state SkillsUSA competition in May. 

Superintendent Rick Turner noted that Vantage is nearly at the minimum required school day limit for the year, with the board later approving a resolution to implement remote learning days if more calamity days are required, rather than schedule make-up days.

Turner also talked about a program created under SB 166 that allows eligible employers to take a tax credit of the lesser of $5,000 or 15 percent of wages paid to an eligible employee under the program. The superintendent added that the state is making a push to get the information out to employers so they can take advantage of the program.

Also Thursday, the board approved three-year limited administrative contracts to CTE supervisors Paula VanTilburg and Ted Verhoff, and also okayed paying Luke Compton $45 an hour on an as-needed, as-scheduled basis, for customized training support for the remainder of this school year.

In other action, the board:

• Hired the following Adult Ed employees: Jean Sullivan, LPN-RN transition coordinator; Brook Crosby, practical nursing instructor, and Angela Vorhees, STNA instructor.
• Approved an overnight stay for SkillsUSA state contestants in Columbus from May 2-4.
• Authorized permanent improvement, GEER, and CARES Act equipment purchases.
• Approved the 2022-23 high school calendar.
• Held an executive session to discuss employment of personnel with no action taken afterward.

The next meeting of the Vantage Board of Education will be held at 5:15 p.m. Thursday, April 7, followed by the All Boards Dinner following the meeting.