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Mifflin County Academy reorganizes building spaces for CTE programs; co-op placements show high employer conversion
Summary
Staff describe a building reconfiguration to create a new "Parliament Chambers" and student-service spaces and report that employer co-op placements returned high conversion to employment for participating students.
Staff reported a summer reconfiguration of the academy's interior to better align program spaces and to maximize instructional and employer-engagement opportunities.
In the master maintenance report, staff said the center of the building has been realigned to create a new board room called the "Parliament Chambers." The former Encore Room will be repurposed to expand the health professions program; practical nursing, early childhood and collision repair classrooms were moved so programs are colocated for safety and instructional efficiency. Staff described plans for a student services room to house the special education instructor and paraeducator and to provide small-group instruction; the space will also include desks and presentation capacity for employer visits and larger groups (estimated seating for 60'70 people for presentations).
Staff said the automotive classroom will be shifted so the shop and classroom are adjacent; that change is intended to enable simultaneous classroom instruction and shop demonstrations without separating students into two locations. Staff described keeping an existing garage door so instructors can open it for demonstrations while teaching theoretical lessons in the adjacent classroom. Project drawings were assigned to Lucas Parks and coordination with Tom White and the EADS group was noted; staff said they hope work will be completed by school start but that partial build-outs (two walls and a ceiling rather than full bid construction) are being considered to control costs.
On career and technical education outcomes, staff reported co-op placement data: 50 co-op placements were recorded this year; 24 students were placed (48 percent) and 22 of those 24 obtained employment at the sites where they completed their co-op. The academy reported 32 participating businesses (12 were new this past year) and 65 job-shadow participants (6 new job-shadow sites). Staff said career-readiness activities total 371 entries across multiple activities; the transcript notes staff are tracking attendance and academics weekly for co-op students to ensure employer expectations are met.
Staff also reviewed outreach and event planning changes: the academy will replace the single open-house model with targeted events including new-parent orientation, a community day (planned to coincide with local Goose Day weekend), fall and spring open activities and a consolidated class-day awards/signing day/NTHS induction event. Staff said they will coordinate with the county visitors bureau for community day and aim to have the community-focused event be family- and employer-friendly.
Finally, staff requested an executive session at the end of the meeting for a school-safety and security report; committee members asked personnel and school-safety items be added to the executive session agenda.
Quotes are attributed to unnamed staff presenters where transcript identifies no formal speaker name.
