CLEARFIELD – Brad Dixon, architectural drafting instructor at the Clearfield County Career and Technology Center, received support from the Joint Operating Committee and will be given an additional month to recruit students for his program.
“I’ve been doing a lot of recruiting,” he said. “I have tentative tours scheduled at three more schools,” he said.
Dixon said his program has the potential to reach 20 students and possibly more for the fall. Many of his students have already committed to come back, while others have also expressed interest.
The center’s programs are required to enroll 20 students to be offered full-time. In addition, the committee must review and vote on a program’s status by May 15 for budgetary reasons.
“I’m asking you to hold off on that decision for another month,” Dixon said.
He said if the committee made the program half-time now, it could discourage potential students.
“If we send the message to guidance counselors that it’s afternoon only, I fear we may lose students because of schedule conflicts,” he said.
Dixon said his program has a record of success, as former students work for businesses such as PennDOT, Hess & Fisher Engineers and Clearfield Powdered Metals, Inc.
“We’re filling jobs in this area,” he said. “There are a lot of career paths for the students.”
Joseph Dugan, Moshannon Valley School District representative, said he couldn’t speak for the rest of the committee but would take a harder look if Dixon showed a recruiting attempt.
“We can’t continue to leave this open,” he said. “But I’ll go back to the table and look at this.”
Dugan asked about Dixon’s targeted number for student enrollment.
“The ultimate goal is 20, since that’s required by policy but 22 would be great,” Dixon said. “I think it’s likely.”
Dugan urged him to market the skills and mechanisms the center offers prospective students. “Show these students what we can give them.”
Prior to the voting meeting, Robin Steffan, president of the Education Association, proposed the board reduce the student enrollment requirements.
Steffan said twenty students was no longer practical for a program due to the declining enrollment at the center.
He also said the center loses four months to recruit students as a result of the May 15 deadline for enrollment review.