Career Center Value Defended

Some school districts in Washtenaw County have spent thousands of tax dollars equipping vocational programs. Is a one mili charter millage to build and equip a $7.6 million career center a duplication of expense and effort? Proponents of the career center sayno. Voters will make the final decisión Tuesday. Approximately 22 per cent of the 10,051 students in the county enrolled in grades 10 through 12 are in vocational and cooperative education programs, according to officials of the Washtenaw Intermedíate School District (WISD). The number of state approved vocational programs offered in each of the 10 school districts to be served by the career center range from one or two in the smaller districts to 15 in Ann Arbor, which has a total student population of 19,786. "Approved" vocational courses have the objective of preparing students for employment, normally meet two or three hours a day and use equipment which duplicates that used in industry or business, according to Patrick Gilbert, WISD's Career Education Planning District coördinator. In contrast, occupational exploratory courses are minimally equipped and are designed to give students an opportunity to explore various avenues in a vocational area. Earl Shaffer, director of occupational education in Ann Arbor, said 603 students are enrolled in state approved vocational courses with more than 2,000 others taking courses within areas such as industrial arts or home economics which are not designed to teach a wage-earning skill. The following approved vocational courses are offered in Ann Arbor: automotive mechanics at Pioneer and Huron, child care at Community; cooperative occupational education (working in the community) at Pioneer and Hurón, vocational drafting at Pioneer and Huron, lectrical occupations at Huron, graphic arts at Huron, health tions at Pioneer, building trades at Pioneer, machine shop at Huron, occupational foods at Pioneer, office occupations at Huron and Pioneer, on site building trades, recreational vehicle repair at Pioneer and weiding at Pioneer. Ann Arbor schools also offer a work-study program, which is federally funded on-the-job training. Shaffer said the local school district is pending $154,000 from its own funds for vocational education this year plus an estimated $160,000 from state and federal sources. Not included in these totals are part-time salaries for 14 or 15 teachers who teach some vocationally reimbursed programs and some that aren't reimbursed. Ann Arbor students may attend any programs offered in the district. In addition, Ann Arbor and several other school districts cooperate in a shared time program which allows 'students to attend vöcational courses offered in other districts. Ypsilanti, Willow Run and! Lincoln Consolidated school' districts are operating an interim career center in the i old Ypsilanti High School. It; cost approximately $250,000 to remodel the building. Ron Ziemba, educational coördinator for the center, said operating costs total about $365,000 with approximately $100,000 of the revenues coming from state aid for vocational education. Some 678 students are enrolled in the 13 vocational programs at the interim center. The programs are integrated office practice, child care and guidance, vocational weiding, building trades, architectural and engineering drawing, auto body, nursing assistants, radio and televisión repair and service, vocational foods, -Mëxjoj design, graphic arts, automotive mechanics and advanced clothing. Neither Ziemba or Shaffer sees a career center as a duplication of current programs. The Ypsilanti, Willow Run and Lincoln Consolidated interim career center is only a temporary measure to provide vocational education until the career center is built. WISD Supt. Nick A. Ianni said at a recent press conference that while the career center is a good interim program, it can't serve all students in the county and offers a limited number of courses. When asked if the career center would duplícate facilities in Ann Arbor, Shaffer said, "It's no gioré duplication than wheñ you have more than one science laboratory." He said many of the existing vocational laboratories are not adequate to offer advaneed vocational courses. "It's not duplicating to have an exploratory laboratory ánd a center with a more advanced laboratory," Shaffer added. Proponents of the countywide career center anticípate the facility would house about 40 vocational programs in the following areas: agriculturebusiness and natural resources, business and office, Communications and media, fine arts and humanities, construction, health, manufacturing, marine science and environment, marketing and distributive occupations, transportation and service industries. If the career center is approved, Shaffer said Ann Arbor students could attend exploratory level courses in their home high schools and go to the career center for more technical training. David Mieras, vocational director for the Saline Area Schools, said a career center would help local school tricts enlarge local exploratory programs which are now over enrolled and would probably save local districts money because they might not have to add more facilities. Saline offers the following vocational programs: automotive service, building construction and maintenance, graphic arts, machine shop rnodel office and weiding and fabrication. Other vocational programs offered in the county include: automotive service, printing, simulated office, agriculture and a cooperative education program at Dexter Community Schools; agricultural production and building trades at Manchester Public Schools; agriculture, building trades, business office practice and cooperative education at Chelsea, photography at Willow Run and Lincoln Consolidated and agriculture at Milan. All of the school districts offer consumer-orientated home economics courses. Whitmore Lake is working to upgrade its secretarial program so it will qualify as an pproved vocational program, according to the superintendent. In June Whitemore Lake approved a $1.9 million bond issue for renovating an elementary building, building a gymnasium and building eight rooms for vocational programs. Five programs to be offered in the new complex are auto shop, building trades, graphic arts, electronics and drafting. The other three rooms will be used for secretarial program and will include a model office. Whitmore Lake's Board of Education is the only board within the WISD opposing the career center. In December Chelsea voters approved a $4.8 million bond ssue for renovations and imrovements. Included in the ond issue is $372,960 for three vocational laboratories, a room for electronics, a room or drafting and a classroom or business office simulation, renovations for the metal shop (CQNT'D. Oh Nüíai' PACití) fIt's no more duplication than when you have more than one science lab orator y .' - Earl Shaffer, Ann Arbor occupational education director.