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Area Career Center and dual-credit leaders outline CTE plans as trustees demand participation data
Summary
The Hammond Area Career Center and district K–12 leaders described 14 CTE pathways and a suite of dual-credit and early-college offerings; trustees pressed for enrollment and staffing data and raised concern after a recent dual-credit teacher resignation.
Leaders from the Hammond Area Career Center and the district’s K–12 office presented career and technical education programming, dual-credit pathways and plans to increase enrollment during the Oct. 1 board meeting.
Jeremy Hicks (introduced) described the ACC’s 14 career pathways — including welding, automotive service, culinary, broadcasting and health-care programs — and said the ACC’s total enrollment was about 642 students on the day of the presentation. Hicks provided school-level Hammond counts (for example Hammond Central 112, Morton 92) and said the ACC partners with multiple high schools in Northwest Indiana.
K-12 director Kershaw Rowling (self-identified) outlined dual-credit and early-college options, including in-house dual-credit courses (English 111, US history, government, biology II, Spanish III, business fundamentals and several AP courses) and dual enrollment with Ivy Tech and PNW. She said counselors are reviewing caseloads to identify students for early-college pathways and that UCAN grant funds are used to subsidize some dual-enrollment tuition and book costs.
Trustees repeatedly requested more data: Trustee Blake King and others asked for course-by-course enrollment figures, which dual-credit-certified teachers are assigned in each building, and historical trends so the board can assess growth or decline. Trustee Spencer asked for a roster of dual-credit-certified teachers and how many programs lack full staffing. Kershaw Rowling said the presentation would be augmented with data and the administration will provide lists of credentialed teachers and enrollment breakdowns upon request.
Trustees and speakers also raised personnel concerns: board members said an involuntary transfer prompted the resignation of a valued dual-credit teacher; trustees asked the administration to explain recent staffing changes and to provide evidence that program capacity and student access are not being harmed.
Administrators said recruiting credentialed dual-credit teachers is challenging in high-demand fields and that virtual sharing and partnerships allow courses to be offered across buildings when on-site instructors are not available. The board asked the administration to supply more detailed program-by-program enrollment and staffing data for follow-up discussion.
