The Penta Career Center’s finances are on an even keel.
At Wednesday’s Board of Education meeting, Treasurer Carrie Herringshaw told the board that she expects
revenues to be about the same and the school’s biggest expense, salaries, to be about the same as the
2010-11 fiscal year.
Judy Sander, of the finance committee, said that agreements with teachers and staff have resulted in no
raises, including no step increases. The exception, she said, is for those who earn additional
educational credits.
Also, Kevin Whitlatch, director of adult services, spoke about the growth of Penta’s Adult Basic Literacy
Education programs.
He said the goal is to place as many sites in communities where it’s easy for students to reach.
"The real push this year is to get them to go further than their GED," he said.
The meeting opened with two presentations by students.
Carpentry students talked about their involvement in the School-to-Work program.
Through the program students work during the summer with area contracting firms, and then starting later
in the school year spend one week at Penta and one week on the job.
Students from the program are moved to the top of the list of applicants for union apprenticeship
programs.
Student Jake Forshee, of Bowling Green, worked for Rudolph-Libbe. He said the company offered to help pay
the cost of his attending Bowling Green State University so he could become a supervisor with the
company.
Instructor Tim Blanchard said that companies have more spots available than there are students to fill
them.
"Commercially we’re seeing things pick up," he said.
Superintendent Ron Matter said that U.S. Assistant Secretary of Education Brenda Dann-Messier, who
visited the school last week, has asked for additional information on the program.
The board also heard from a video production team of Jodi Hanudel, Northwood, and Lexie Frisch, Oak
Harbor, who placed fourth in the nation in the SKillsUSA conference.
They had a limited period during the conference in which they had to produce a film on the theme
"Green." Frisch said they developed their film around the idea of being green with envy.
Frisch is now studying film at BGSU and Hanudel is studying film and digital production at Cleveland
State.
