Butler Tech outlines career-tech programs at Monroe; students describe hands-on projects

Butler Tech representatives told the Monroe Local Schools Board of Education on Monday night that several Butler Tech satellite programs operate at the Monroe campus, and students and instructors described hands-on projects and community-based learning tied to those programs.

The Butler Tech presentation, led in part by Brad Guido and Jolene Turvey, reviewed financial literacy, Project Lead The Way engineering courses, culinary arts and career-readiness classes available at the Monroe campus and highlighted recent student projects and outcomes.

Families and the board heard students describe the classroom experience and concrete results. Quinn Stammerer, a student in the civil engineering and architecture class, said, “IED kinda made us fall in love with engineering because you get to do a lot of hands on projects,” and described building model houses, sheds and a stage used in the school’s graduation. Katie Grigsby, a culinary student, said the class taught “the proper way to use a knife and cut produce and meats” and described producing donated meals for a local pantry as part of a work-based learning project. Aiden McMonagle, who took the Career and College Readiness course, said the class helped with resumes and interview skills and led to a job offer after a 19‑minute interview.

Turvey and Butler Tech staff also noted upcoming events and logistics. Guido said invitations to the all-boards meeting were being distributed and that campus showcases would run April 24; he also said there will be a May 1 all-boards meeting. The presentation noted a mock-interview volunteer opportunity scheduled for April 10 at the middle school gym.

Presenters gave several quantitative examples: a recent Butler Tech fundraising “dunk and donate” raised about $30,000 to equip students with tools and gear; culinary student Cafe Lee pop‑up events generated roughly $2,800 in a two‑day run for one student team and $900 in profit over two days for another student’s ethnic-menu week. The engineering classes are building sheds on campus and a shed on the Butler Tech campus, and instructors said students will start on a preapproved shed this week.

Board members asked about space constraints for expanding programming. Guido and Turvey said space is the primary challenge at Monroe and urged board members to “consider the Butler Tech spaces” during the district’s building-design process.

Turvey and instructors encouraged board members to attend showcases and to volunteer for mock interviews; they did not present any formal funding requests at the meeting.

For more detail, Butler Tech faculty who presented included Rusty Hubbard (financial literacy), Matt Balzer (PLTW/engineering) and Jessica Hartzall (culinary), and student speakers included Quinn Stammerer, Katie Grigsby, Aiden McMonagle, Silas Barnes and Marco Rochakalski.