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CTE students thank board; superintendent reports slight enrollment decline and ACT testing plans
Summary
Students from the Carl Lofton Career and Technology Center presented to the board and thanked members for support; Superintendent Foster reported January attendance near 95 percent and said enrollment is down about 60–65 students from last year and reminded the board about upcoming ACT testing and a facilities work session.
Students in the Carl Lofton Career and Technology Center’s Career and Technical Education programs addressed the Marion County School District board on Career and Technical Education Month and presented tokens of appreciation to board members.
Chloe Callahan, a Construction II student from East Marion High School, said, "I would one day like to use the skills that I've learned to be a better leader and to one day hopefully own my own construction company." Mallory Blocker, an Early Childhood II student who attends West Marion High School, said she plans to use her training "to one day become a teacher." Cameron Graves, enrolled in the educator-preparation program at the Vo Tech Center, and other students — including Ashley Dillon (sports medicine) and a student introduced as Shakari — described how CTE programs have prepared them for careers and thanked the board for supporting the programs.
Superintendent Foster gave the board operational updates. He said January attendance (average daily attendance reported in the packet) was "not great, but not too terrible" and estimated attendance near 95 percent despite recent flu-related absences. Foster told the board the district is "down probably another 60, 65 students from this time last year." He also reminded members that juniors take the statewide ACT in spring and that Marion County continues to administer paper-based testing at local schools by request; the superintendent noted that Westmere served as a host site for the national ACT test on a recent Saturday.
Foster described a facilities walkthrough the board conducted the prior Saturday, saying members, principals and staff toured academic and athletic campuses for about four and a half hours. He said the board would hold a work session in March to discuss facilities priorities and establish next steps.
Ending
Students closed by thanking the board for ongoing support of CTE programs and the superintendent said staff will follow up with detailed packet materials and schedule the March facilities work session.
