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Charter director outlines EMT, CNA and CMA plans; donated ambulance could serve as training lab
Summary
Stevensville charter director Hannah Heltzer told the board the charter academy has confirmed about 46 students and is developing CNA, CMA and EMT pathways; she said an ambulance donation could provide a hands-on learning lab though its motor needs repair.
Hannah Heltzer, director for the district's charter academy, reported to the school board on July 14 that the program has so far confirmed 46 students and is moving forward with career-focused offerings.
Heltzer said the academy will pursue multiple certification tracks to give seniors career options before graduation. "Certified nursing assistant is a semester long," she said, noting that Highlands College offers a free CNA option through an existing grant. "Certified medical assistant is a little different ... it costs somewhere around $2,400 for a student to complete the program, if they don't have any free credits," she said.
On emergency medical training, trustees and Heltzer discussed a proposed EMT course and the logistics required by state and national registry standards (a minimum of 120 hours of instruction). The packet referenced an estimated $6,000 cost for the semester offering; Heltzer said the district budget and the charter budget would need to cover those costs if the program proceeds on the proposed timeline.
Heltzer also described work to secure a donated ambulance that "works for the purposes that we needed for teaching," but said the vehicle's motor needs repair before it could be used for transport. She said the ambulance could still be used as a classroom lab to simulate patient-care space and that the charter would provide a full proposal at a future meeting.
Board members asked for clarifications on costs, where funding would come from and the timeline for registration; Heltzer said she would send emails to students and parents and had pushed the application deadline to July 27 for the academy's first-year cohort. She emphasized partnerships with Montana Tech, University of Montana and Rocky Mountain Laboratories for field trips and experiential learning.
The board tabled any immediate purchase of EMT curriculum and supplies pending more detailed budget work and will reconsider the item at the next meeting.
