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Olathe Advanced Technical Center highlights internships, certifications and program changes
Summary
OATC principal Amy Stoltz updated the Olathe Board on Career and Technical Education results, reporting strong internship participation, industry certifications, college credits and a planned retirement of the auto collision program.
Amy Stoltz, principal of the Olathe Advanced Technical Center (OATC), presented the district’s CTE (career and technical education) achievements during the board’s February meeting and outlined enrollment, internship and credentialing figures for the previous year and plans for the coming school year.
"My name is Amy Stoles. I am the proud principal of the Olathe Advanced Technical Center," Stoltz said, opening the school spotlight.
Stoltz said OATC operates nine programs this year and plans to offer eight next year after retiring the auto collision program. She reported 354 students across three locations currently attend OATC and that 409 students had applied for next school year when she spoke. Students attend either morning (hours 1–3) or afternoon (hours 5–7) sessions. Stoltz told the board that in spring 2024 OATC had 74 interns across programs who logged 10,617 hours of work with 34 business partners; for spring 2025 she said the program expects 86 interns.
The center awarded 524 hours of college credit last fall across offered college‑credit courses, Stoltz said, and noted multiple competition successes: ProStart culinary competitors advanced to nationals, HOSA healthcare students competed in Houston and a SkillsUSA student finished second nationally in electronics.
Stoltz described industry partnerships and placements — for example, KU Med‑Olathe hosted healthcare interns and several Walgreens stores employed students pursuing pharmacy technician certification. She said Crash Champions of Olathe hosted students from the retiring auto collision program as interns.
OATC student leaders gave brief remarks on programs to support peers. Alexa Fountain, an EMS student, described a student‑run homework help sign‑up and a poster to connect students to free tutoring at Johnson County Community College. "I know how hard it is to ask for help when all my friends are understanding a subject and I'm not," she told the board. Senior Cruz Barrientos said OATC felt "like family" and credited the center with improving his grades and attendance.
Stoltz said 52 businesses currently host OATC students and that 87% of Year‑2 students participate in internships. She described pilot and rollout plans for workplace learning and said the district will use a train‑the‑trainer model and phased implementation to support staff and families.
Why it matters: OATC’s workplace partnerships, college credits and industry credentials are core to the district’s CTE offerings and affect students’ post‑secondary and career pathways. The planned program retirement and the partnership placements have immediate implications for student internships and employer relationships.
Sources: remarks by Amy Stoltz, principal, Olathe Advanced Technical Center; statements by students Alexa Fountain and Cruz Barrientos (student testimonials at school spotlight).
