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Enid News & Eagle
THIS YEAR IS ONE OF EXPECTATION FOR ENID AND NORTHWEST OKLAHOMA. IT IS A TIME OF CHANGE AS THE AREA EMERGES FROM RECESSION AND LOOKS TOWARD PROGRESSION. THE ECONOMIC DRIVERS THAT HAVE BUILT AND SUSTAINED OUR WAY OF LIFE ARE CHANGING, AND THE PEOPLE ARE TASKED WITH CREATING A DIVERSE, NEW ECONOMIC MODEL THAT PUTS THE AREA ON THE HORIZON TOWARD A BETTER WAY OF LIFE. TUCKED IN THESE PROGRESS EDITIONS ARE A FEW OF THE STORIES OF THOSE WHO ARE SHAPING THE FUTURE FOR 2012 AND BEYOND.
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BETTER FUTURES
Enid Public Schools remains in midst of renovation, construction projects By Phyllis Zorn Staff Writer
In the two years since voters passed a $99.4 million bond issue, Enid Public Schools has made relentless progress renovating existing buildings and building new ones. In fact, work at seven schools, D. Bruce Selby Stadium and the track is finished. Work at six more schools will be wrapped up by August. An additional building on the Enid High School campus — not originally planned as part of the bond issue but funded by savings from other projects — and renovation of four more schools will be finished in 2013. “This fall, Enid’s two new elementary schools will open their doors, and by August of 2013, renovations at all EPS sites will be complete,” said Shawn Hime, EPS superintendent. Work is complete at Glenwood, Coolidge, Hoover, Hayes and Taft elementary schools. Selby Stadium work and resurfacing of the EHS track is finished, roofing at seven schools is done and HVAC work at 11 schools is complete. Adams Elementary School additions and upgrades are scheduled for completion any day now. Renovation of the third floor of Emerson Middle School is complete, the office area and main entrance are in final stages of completion and the auditorium is under construction. At Enid High School, the first floor is in final stages of completion. The plaza in front of the building is getting a makeover. The auditorium is due to open in April. Work on the existing building is scheduled to be completed by August. At the new Garfield Elementary School, interior finishes are being installed. Cabinets, ceiling tiles, accent paints and trim in all areas are in beginning stages. Data infrastructure is starting to take place in all classrooms and offices. Demolition of the old Armory on the school’s site is scheduled to be finished by the end of March. At the new Prairie View Elementary School, exterior bricks and windows as well as interior studs and sheetrock are being installed. The roof and HVAC units are being installed and the driveways are poured. The central rotunda is the center focus of work. As for renovation and addition to Waller Middle School, the new classroom and media center is framed and sheetrock is being installed. Windows and frames are set in place. Exterior work is near completion. New HVAC units are on the roof. Student transition will begin at spring break. Landscape work will begin in April. Projects in the design phase center on Monroe Elementary School, Longfellow Middle School, Carver Education Center, bus parking area, and EHS University Center addition. Monroe will see extensive renovation to the first and second halls. Carver will witness minor renovations, with construction beginning in spring. Longfellow Middle School will see extensive renovations to all buildings and a newly-constructed administration addition with elevators to all floors. Students will use the old Garfield Elementary building for swing space during the 2012-13 school year. The 34,000 square foot EHS University Center addition will have 24 classrooms and four state-of-the-art science labs. The job should be bid and awarded in the spring, with construction to begin in the summer and completed by summer 2013. Yet to be designed and bid are McKinley and Eisenhower elementary school and Lincoln Alternative School renovations. All are scheduled to be completed by August 2013. “Together, we are not just building better schools, we are building better futures,” Hime said.
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Timberlake Construction employees (top) work on the roof at the new Prairie View Elementary School on West Willow. Enid Public Schools students will be attending classes at the new Garfield Elementary and Prairie View Elementary buildings next fall. Construction has been ongoing at the new elementary schools. Pictured are (clockwise from left) a worker using a ladder as he polishes chrome lighting sections in one of the common learning pods at the new Garfield, a Henson Construction worker installing a new thermostat inside the new Garfield offices and Timberlake Construction supervisor Ray Rich answering a question during a tour of Prairie View. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
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g n i l d i u B BETTER FUTURES
Construction continues on the interior entrance to Enid Public Schools’ new Prairie View Elementary School (right) on West Willow. A Henson Construction worker (top) installs lighting inside the cafeteria area at the new Garfield Elementary School building under construction on East Elm. Enid Public Schools’ two newest buildings are scheduled to open for the fall semester. Parents (above) exit Waller Middle School as workers set concrete wall caps near the school’s new entrance. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
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p t i o n O
failure is not an Enid instructor makes sure to stay on his toes to keep up with students By Jeff Mullin Senior Writer
Teaching is a challenging enough profession under the best of conditions, but teaching both calculus and physics to the area’s best and brightest math and science students comes with its own unique set of demands. “It means I’ve got to stay on my toes,” said Mike Jantz, the lone instructor at Enid’s regional center for Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics. “You can’t slack off on any day. I tell them every one of them is probably smarter than I am, but I know more math than they do. That’s fun.” Jantz has been with Enid OSSM since it opened. In his first year teaching at OSSM, Jantz said, he had a junior student from Chisholm who scored 35 on the ACT test, a perfect 36 in math. “My biggest fear that first school year was that she was going to take the ACT again and not make a 36 in math,” Jantz said. “She didn’t take it again.” Students at OSSM, Jantz said, are “more like-minded and motivated,” than their classmates in their home schools. Students work together in groups to solve problems, which enables them to brainstorm and motivate one another, said OSSM student Dakota Bottomlee. “All of our students have very similar goals, and they have similar backgrounds in mathematics,” Bottomlee said. “It’s nice to work with people with the same goals. Everybody here wants to achieve; you can see that in their work. Everybody wants to do something with their life that’s important. No one slacks off.” “I don’t have to get after them very often, and when I do yell at them they perk right up,” Jantz said. Bottomlee hopes to attend either the Air Force or Naval academies and study aeronautical engineering, following in the footsteps of his father, Lt. Col. David Bottomlee, inspector general for 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance Air Force Base. Dakota is homeschooled. “It’s nice to be able to take a class in a good learning environment with a teacher who has taught this for many, many years,” Bottomlee said. “I can get a good understanding of the mathematics that goes into calculus-based physics going into college.” His experience at OSSM, Bottomlee said, will serve him well as he goes to college. “Calculus isn’t just math, it’s problem solving, so is physics,” he said. “They give you problem-solving skills. You get to look for stuff in math that you wouldn’t normally look for to solve these problems.”
Mike Jantz
How it all started OSSM’s main campus, a two-year residential school Dakota Bottomlee studies in the Oklahoma School of Science and Mathematics classroom at Autry Technology Center. (Photo Illustration / Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON) in Oklahoma City, graduated its first class in 1992. In 1999, the state Legislature passed H.B.1510, establish- every student that’s coming into the program,” Eaton For students going on to Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, ing 16 regional centers across the state to enable gifted said. Eaton said, that could translate into earning nine to 11 credstudents to receive additional math instruction without The current Enid OSSM class is its 11th. In all, some it hours. About 70 percent of Enid OSSM graduates stay in having to leave home or their high school friends and 200 students have gone through the program here. state, Jantz said. Thirty-five percent of those go into engiactivities. Enid’s OSSM regional was the fifth to open. “We’ve had great success,” Eaton said. neering, he added. The dropout rate, Jantz said, is low. “They pulled out the two curriculum areas they saw Jantz conducted a study as most needed, which a couple of years ago and was calculus and physics,” found Enid OSSM gradusaid Jeremy Eaton, direcates had gone on to 43 diftor of student activities. ferent universities and had “Those two curriculum earned 45 different deareas are what the regional grees. centers teach.” Bottomlee is one of 10 Enid’s OSSM branch is students in the OSSM O S S M S T U D E N T S F A C E housed at Autry Technology morning classes at Autry Center. Students are transTech. ported to Autry for morning Water pours from a faucet at the “The student-teacher or afternoon classes, then 3/min. Knowing the ratio is incredible for a rate of 950 cm returned to their high hard class like this,” he density of water to be 1 g/cm3, find the schools. The program has said. “Each one of us, included students from outaverage force exerted by the water on a surwhen we have a probside Garfield County, Ealem, can go to Mr. face 1.5 m below the faucet. Assume the ton said, but they must proJantz, we can work together with Mr. Jantz or the other stuwater comes to rest after hitting the surface. vide their own transportadents.” tion. Enid OSSM students do more than just study, apparently. A gorilla walks 20 m due north Students spend about Jantz said two pairs of Enid OSSM alumni have married. 75 minutes a day studying and then walks 30 m due west. At calculus and 75 studying the same time, his trainer walks 75 m at 65o physics, Jantz said. S of E. “We’re trying to provide the optimum learning a. Make a careful vector diagram showing environment for students the displacements of the gorilla and the who are either motivated, gifted or talented in math trainer. or science,” he said. b. In what direction and how far away does
Sample physics questions 1.
Jeremy Eaton
2.
How it starts for students
the gorilla look to see his trainer? Use vector components to solve this problem.
Each spring, prospective students submit application packages that include recommendations from their math and science teachers as well as their principal or counselor. Most students who apply are going into their junior or senior year of high school. A representative of every district that sends students to Autry Tech meets and interviews each applicant. Students are assessed for scientific interest and aptitude, motivation, self-discipline, personal maturity and overall potential. Students also must take an aptitude test. The panel of school officials then selects the next year’s class, about half of which comes from Enid High School. Classes range from about 15 to 25 students. “That way every school, big or small, has input on
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“We don’t want anybody to fail,” he said. Enid OSSM graduates have gone on to prestigious colleges like Massachusetts Institute of Technology, but many have chosen to stay in state, Eaton said. “That’s really the purpose of the program, too,” Eaton said, “to show students they can go to school here in Oklahoma and get a great education and stay here in Oklahoma for their careers.” At the end of the one-year, tuition-free program, Eaton said, students take advanced placement tests in calculus and physics. “We have over a 90-percent pass rate on those AP tests,” Eaton said.
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on the move
EDUCATION PE pairs learning with physical activity, fosters habits of fitness By Phyllis Zorn Staff Writer
PE is no longer about routinized calisthenics and grueling laps around the track imposed as punishment. Instead, physical education teachers look to foster a lifetime love of activities that leads to fitness and overall health. Cindy Moore, PE teacher at Hoover Elementary School, has taught PE 26 years — the last eight of them at Hoover. “Childhood and adult obesity has gone up,” Moore said. “We
try to do more things that would be a lifetime sport.” Moore and the other teachers at Hoover work together on a running program that rewards them for their activity and can lead to entry in the Oklahoma City Marathon. For every mile they run, they are rewarded with a foot charm to wear on their necklace. After six miles, they get a water bottle to keep. Even the teachers are running, setting an example for their students. “The teachers are getting
after it with miles,” Moore said. “I’m at 46 miles.” Moore also works to help students improve their performance in other classes. Math books and reading books can be found in the gymnasium for students to grab during the occasional “free time” during PE class. She also adds principles of math and reading to PE activities. “We cup-stack around testing time for the right/left brain thing,” Moore said. She also focuses on finding kids things to do, activities like bowling, instead of sitting in
Third-graders at Hoover Elementary School play crab soccer during PE. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)
front of the television. “We have those kids who are motivated and do the YMCA thing,” Moore said. “We have those kids who are not. I try to motivate those kids.”
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If PE class is enjoyable, students don’t grow up thinking of physical activity as drudgery. “We don’t want physical activity to be a punishment anymore,” Moore said.
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Enid News & Eagle
SOMETHING TO BE
f o d prou Bond issue projects approved by voters in 2009 are now in final stages at Pioneer-Pleasant Vale
By Cass Rains Staff Writer Thanks to two bond issues approved by voters in 2009, improvements at PioneerPleasant Vale Schools should be complete by the time students return to classes in the fall, said Superintendent Brent Koontz. “We’re just finishing up on our construction,” he said. “We have some loose ends to tie up and finishing touches to put on.” Three years ago, voters approved two propositions totaling $5.9 million for updates and improvements in the Garfield County school district. The first proposition was an $800,000 to fund transportation and passed by more than 80 percent. Proposition 2, which included a new gym, high school roof and science wing and a geothermal update of the HVAC system, passed 235-44, or by 84.2 percent. Both were well more than 60 percent, which is required of school bond issues. “It had been a long time,” Koontz said, referring to a district bond issue passage. “We had some problems getting something like that passed before.” He said the new gym is more than twice the size of its predecessor and features amenities to make everyone who uses it, or visits, more comfortable. “It’s about three times as much as our previous gym. It seats a little under 800 people,” Koontz said. “We tried to put all the touches in it that would make everyone comfortable, even the visitors. We try
to accommodate everyone.” Pioneer-Pleasant Vale hosted a basketball tournament in early February, an event the old gym could not accommodate. Hosting such an event will spread the word about the facility and get more schools interested in playing there. He said the new gym also will save money because teams won’t have to travel as much as before. Koontz said the school system gets “a lot of notoriety” for its gym, but he is proud, too, of the other improvements. “I’m just as equally impressed with the high school and improvement to the education side,” he said. “The new heating and air units, the new doors we put in and the new roof system have kept our schools much cleaner, a lot healthier and lot easier to look at. “It gives the kids something to be really proud of.” He said those improvements were greatly needed, and the students really appreciate them. “Our voters have been very gracious in passing that,” he said. “We feel like we’ve got our money’s worth out of these improvements. I think we’ve spent every penny very wisely.” Koontz said improvements will be made to the schools’ parking lots, including wheelchair access and making them American with Disabilities Act compliant. “We’re just trying to take care of what we have and make it as good as we can make it.”
The new Pioneer High School gym is more than twice the size of its predecessor and features amenities to make everyone who uses or visits it more comfortable, according to Superintendent Brent Koontz. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)
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SMART d e c i s i o n s Chisholm superintendent hopes voters OK technology, transportation projects By James Neal Staff Writer
Chisholm Public Schools is continuing to pursue investment in the district’s future, with a proposed $1.35 million bond issue set to build on recent facility and technology upgrades. Chisholm superintendent Roydon Tilley said the district has focused in recent years on upgrading classroom technology, and he hopes district patrons will continue to support investments in technology and facilities. “A big focus for us for several years has been to improve our technology in our schools, and that’s been one of the biggest areas of growth for us in the last seven years,” Tilley said. “We’ve replaced about every computer in the district, we’ve got a SMART Board in about every classroom in the district and we’re about halfway to installing an iPad lab in the middle school.” Tilley said white board technology has improved the classroom experience for teachers and students, largely due to the fact the district has invested time and money in training teachers to use the new equipment. “Our ability to educate with them has improved significantly in the last four to five years,” Tilley said. “It’s a fine line between just having a SMART Board and being able to use it to advance the curriculum.”
Past projects Technology and facilities upgrades at Chisholm have benefited significantly from bond issues in recent years. Chisholm patrons have approved two bond issues in the last six years: one for $3 million in April 2006 and one for $1.015 million in October 2009. The 2006 bond issue funded construction of a multipurpose facility at the middle school, including a cafeteria, basketball court, band room and storage area and two science laboratories. The 2009 issue funded buses, technology upgrades, a new middle school roof, band equipment, a new track and an indoor training facility for baseball, softball and weightlifting. The track was completed last year, and the indoor training facility opened at the beginning of this academic year. Tilley said a combined $100,000 from the last two bond issues went to technology upgrades. “We really try to put any discretionary funding we can free up into upgrading our
technology,” he said. “We’re very proud of our kids and our faculty and what we’re able to do with our academics, and we want to give our students and teachers the best tools possible in the classroom.”
Charitable giving Classroom technology upgrades at Chisholm also have benefited from charitable donations. Enid Running Club’s Great Land Run has contributed nearly $100,000 to Chisholm’s classroom technology, along with more than $200,000 to Enid Public Schools. Chisholm’s classroom technology upgrades were boosted last year by $5,000 in matching funds from Northcutt Toyota and $15,000 worth of fundraising by Chisholm Foundation.
Proposed projects Tilley hopes district voters will continue their support for capital improvements with this April’s proposed bond issue. The majority of the $1.35 million bond issue, $775,000, would go toward the purchase of five new, 71-passenger buses and an activity bus. Tilley said the current bus fleet includes 1998 and 1999 buses, and the current activity bus, driven more than 600,000 miles, “has become unreliable.” The second-largest expense outlined in the proposal is $200,000 for technology upgrades, including 200 computers, new software and updates to the district’s servers and routers. Other bond issue expenditures would be $150,000 for a new football and track press box, $100,000 for band instruments and equipment, $75,000 to replace the high school air handling unit and $50,000 to replace middle school lockers. Tilley said the proposed bond issue includes a significant amount of funding for extracurricular activities because they “keep students involved, improving and maintaining their focus on education.” “I’m a huge believer in extracurricular activities,” he said. “The kids learn a lot of life lessons through extracurricular sports and extracurricular activities, and the extracurricular activities gear the kids toward academic success. It’s imperative that we provide our students with quality facilities and activities.” Voters will determine the fate of the proposed bond issue on April 3.
Chisholm Public Schools has proposed bond issues for an April 3 vote. Pictured are (clockwise from top left) a banner in Chisholm High School’s office outlining the mission of the school, a new press box at the Chisholm Longhorn football field, students waiting for a bus, newly completed softball and baseball indoor facilities and an activity bus. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
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Enid News & Eagle
Dyson Named to National Youth Advisory Board Paid advertisement
Ivey Dyson – Waukomis, OK `~ 2011-2012 SBOC NYAB
Columbia, S.C. – Ivey their choice on or Dyson, of Waukomis, around the time of the OK, has been named to Super Bowl Football the 2011-2012 Souper game. The organizaBowl of Caring tion’s National National Youth Youth Advisory The first Advisory Board. SBoC was held Board (NYAB) over 20 years is an exclusive Dyson is one of 12 students from ago in South program comCarolina nine states choprised of 12 sen to serve as student leaders a member of this presti- from around the country gious board. In selected through a comSeptember, Dyson trav- petitive national applicaeled to Columbia, SC to tion process. attend the organizaNYAB gives young tion’s national youth volunteers an opportunitraining retreat. Dyson ty to take a larger leadwill return in December ership role in the organito learn more about zation. In addition to being an advocate for coordinating SBoC the organization. events within their local Souper Bowl of communities, NYAB Caring (SBoC) mobimembers serve as lizes youth across the youth spokespersons nation to collect donafor the organization with tions and donate 100 local and national percent of their collecmedia, connect with tion to a local charity of other youth leaders
interested in making a difference, grow SBoC’s efforts in their communities and offer feedback and guidance to the SBoC staff. Dyson is a sophomore at Enid High School who loves to perform. She is in the show choir, sings in her church’s contemporary group and is on the Enid High drama team. Dyson volunteers for 4 R Kid’s and Special Olympics and is a member of Family Career Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). Through her work with Souper Bowl of Caring she hopes to learn how to help reduce poverty in her community. Other states represented on the board include New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina. The first SBoC was held over 20 years ago in South Carolina with only 22 churches and has since grown to include more than 12,500 groups nationwide. In 2011 260,000 groups collected over $9 million nationwide and every penny went to local organizations that help people in need.
By Ivey Dyson It was such an honor to be accepted on the National Youth Advisory Board for Souper Bowl of Caring. I've gained so much: public speaking skills, knowledge of poverty in our own backyards, the courage to lead others, and the ability to lead a movement in Enid to give back and show others compassion to those around us who are starving day-today. On Feb 5th my youth group did indeed serve lunch at the Salvation Army. It was an amazing and eye opening experience for all of us. I also got the opportunity to speak at Hayes Elementary and Longfellow Middle School about hunger. At our first NYAB meeting (Sept 2-5) was at the headquarters in Columbia, SC. On the first night we wrote biographies for the website (tacklehunger.org)and newspapers and met other members of the NYAB. The next day we participated in a photo shoot for pictures that were for and will continue to be for this year's Souper Bowl of Caring advertising material. We went through lots of planning and shared ideas about how to make an impact in our communities. On the second night we went to the park where we played sports, danced around and bonded with other members of the board. Then we performed a miniature flash mob at the mall. On Sept 4 we served breakfast to some people who are hungry in Columbia. That was the first time I had ever participated at a soup kitchen and it really showed me
how many people are suffering. That night we had pizza and a pool party. The next morning we each gave a speech about SBOC and then parted ways. At our second meeting (Dec 2-4) we all shared about our experiences with Souper Bowl of Caring up to that point. The next day we discussed media relations and had a mock interview. That night we went to Transitions, an amazingly giving homeless shelter. That also happened to be my first experience at a homeless shelter. It was amazing how giving and loving the workers and residents were. I think people have the wrong interpretation about who the hungry and homeless are. They automatically assume that those people are either delinquents or lazy. I can assure you, that is a false statement. The people who are starving have just been dealt a bad card. That's why we do what we do. Because we would never want to be in that situation and have to face it alone. Souper Bowl of Caring helps the fallen stand up on their feet again. After the tour of Transitions, we participated in a bowlathon to raise money for Souper Bowl of Caring. SBoC is completely non-profit. All money you raise in your community goes directly to the organization of your choosing. All SBoC asks is that you report the amount of money raised. Because they are non-profit, many fundraising opportunities must take place, and our bowlathon was an amazing fundraising opportunity. I believe we raised around 5,000. The next day we parted ways for the very last time.
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A f u t u re i n
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flight
NOC Enid to offer aviation major in the fall By Robert Barron Staff Writer
Northern Oklahoma College Enid hopes to take flight in the fall and add an aviation major that will produce an associate’s degree. Ed Vineyard, vice president for the Enid campus, said NOC is working with Aviator’s Wing, a company at Enid Woodring Regional Airport, in a cooperative program to provide flight training. NOC would offer general education instruction. Students concluding the program will earn a private pilot’s license and possibly a commercial pilot’s license. Students also must pass all Federal Aviation Administration tests. “We’ve offered it in the past, but we added it in 2000, and that’s when the whole aviation industry went into a dive. We suspended it, and now we’re bringing it back,” Vineyard said of the course, which currently is in the approval process with Oklahoma State Board of Regents. The aviation program, which will be included in the school’s fall schedule and course offerings list, is the first new offering in Enid in several years due to flat budgets and cuts caused by a lagging state economy. Vineyard said the next year still will see a flat budget. The aviation program is the only new degree being offered.
$2 million overhaul Despite a tight budget, the campus will see some
“
We’ve offered it in the past ... and that’s when the whole aviation industry went into a dive. We suspended it, and now we’re bringing it back.” Ed Vineyard, vice president, Northern Oklahoma College Enid
Despite a tight budget, Northern Oklahoma College Enid will see improvements in coming months. Pictured are the campus sign (left) and a pillar that stands from Phillips University days. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)
improvements in the coming months. Possibly the largest expenditure will be with a company that will replace heating, air conditioning, lighting and insulation in all campus buildings. NOC has contracted with Johnson Controls, which Vineyard said is one of the largest heat and air companies in the nation. The company did an audit and examined the campuses in Enid
and Tonkawa before making a $2 million rehabilitation proposal to replace old, inefficient equipment. “It will make the whole campus more comfortable for students and also lower our energy costs,” Vineyard said. Vineyard said projects of this caliber are difficult to arrange because of a need to close buildings during work. He said they will try to do most of the work dur-
ing summer break or at times when the student count is lower. The first project targets lighting, which is easier to complete during higher traffic hours.
Field of medicine Vineyard said the campus continues to see high interest in its medical programs. NOC currently offers 70 degrees, and about 25-30
can be completed on the Enid campus, he said. Many — such as surgery technician, radiography, medical office and the LPN program, which feeds into the RN program — are cooperative programs with Autry Technology Center. Vineyard said medicine is a big field. “When you add up all medical-related majors there are about 370 students out of 1,100. That is rough-
ly one-third in the medical field,” he said. The field of medicine is one of the fastest-growing in the United States because of the aging population and a continuing need for nurses, therapists and other specialists. Vineyard said the majors NOC offers show good support of the needs of the community, which is the medical hub of northwest Oklahoma.
a place for ‘passions’ and ‘dreams’
Showcasing northwest Oklahoma NWOSU continues to reach out to its students and communities By Cass Rains Staff Writer Northwestern Oklahoma State University has been serving students and communities in northwest Oklahoma for more than 110 years, and it strives to continue offering the best learning opportunities and special events. “Over the last semester, and into this semester, we’ve had some really good events,” said Northwestern-Enid Dean Wayne McMillin. “We have had an opportunity to host Gen. (Tommy) Franks. We also had our winter Chautauqua, which was very successful. I’ve been really pleased with a lot of the events we’ve had that showcased the campus itself over the course of the last semester.” McMillin said the university’s programs are continuing to strive for excellence. “Our existing programs are doing well, and many are pursuing accreditation in their fields,” he said. “Business, nursing, education and social work are all working on accreditation or renewal of accreditation.” New psychology courses are attracting the attention of many students. “Criminal Psychology and Human and Animal Interaction are new classes that are very popular this semester,” McMillin said. The Enid campus also continues to partner with Northern Oklahoma College to offer students more educational opportunities. “We’re working on potentially offering some science classes in the upcoming years (through the partnership),” McMillin said. Northwestern-Enid assists a diverse population, including adult learners, achieve their career and educational goals by providing local, affordable access to higher education through upper-level courses leading to bachelor’s and complete graduate degrees. Upper-division courses for bachelor’s degree programs are accounting, business administration, computer science, E-commerce, education, general studies, history, nursing, political science, psychology, social work, sociology and technical management. The college also offers complete master’s degree programs in education and counseling psychology
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Northwestern Oklahoma State University-Enid Dean Wayne McMillin (left) said the university continues to strive for excellence at its Enid campus (above) in addition to its main site in Alva and its other facilities. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON)
and co-ops with two other universities to offer a master of business administration degree. Many students take advantage of the cooperative agreements between Northwestern and Northern for completion of four-year degrees. Other students finish degrees started earlier in life or transfer course work from other institutions. McMillin said the university has been working with the governor’s office as part of the Complete College America initiative to get more students to finish degrees.
“We’re continuing to work on meeting the needs of the community and our students to best help provide the upper division education needs they might have,” he said. With a steady enrollment of 300 to 440 students a semester, McMillin said the university is seeing nontraditional students returning to the classroom or joining academics for the first time. “I think students are looking at ways to broaden their professional careers,” McMillin said. “A lot of people we have at Northwestern are non-traditional students who are coming back to school looking at some of their passions and looking at some new dreams there.” Traditional students, at the same time, are trying to define their careers and find new avenues to fulfill them. McMillin said all Northwestern campuses and sites offer interactive televised classes for students. “We’ve got quite an array of classes and advance online classes, most noticeably in the business department,” he said. “We have a wireless campus for our students’ convenience and state-of-the art equipment in computer labs as well.”
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Enid News & Eagle
LaEARNING t home Parents, their children meet in groups for individualized education planning By Bridget Nash Staff Writer When Enid’s schoolchildren are envisioned, most think of rows of desks in classrooms inside large buildings, but there are students who do not find themselves in the typical setting. Numerous parents in Enid take on the task of schooling their children at home, and many of those homeschooled students also meet regularly in “homeschool groups” with other homeschooled students. One such group is Classical Conversations, which hosts more than 50 homeschooled students each week. “I homeschool my children,” said NeAnne Clinton, support manager for Western Oklahoma for Classical Conversations. “We use the Classical Conversations curriculum, and we meet every Tuesday as a group.” Classical Conversations is a homeschool curriculum that operates on a model of education teaching required curriculum while instilling in students a desire for learning. Since 1999, Classical Conversations has provided teaching tools and training for parents as well as educational material for students. “The thing that sets Classical Conversations apart is we have trained tutors,” said Clinton. “Trained (parent) tutors present the material to the students each week. The parents are required to sit in so they get the same information the student is getting.” Tutors emphasize the pro-
gram’s classical tools of learning: grammar, dialectic and rhetoric. Grammar begins the study, with dialectic — logic and discussion — and rhetoric — the ability to teach the topic to others — folThe parent is always in control lowing. of the child’s learning.” ClasNeAnne Clinton, support manager, s i c a l Western Oklahoma for Classical Conversations Conversations focuses on a foundation of six subjects: may not be what many picture timeline/history, geography, when they think of education, math, science, Latin and it is just a different way for students to learn the knowlEnglish grammar. Once the weekly group edge required to graduate and session is over, the parents’ move on to college, she said. “My children enjoy it,” job has just begun. “The parent is always in she said. “They enjoy homecontrol of the child’s learn- school, and they enjoy the group.” ing,” Clinton said. It is estimated more than “Mothers and fathers are certainly smart enough to 36,000 Oklahoma students train their own children to are homeschooled. Parents learn anything they want to choose the method for a varilearn and to become produc- ety of reasons, from incorpotive adults marked by integri- rating religious views to conty and wisdom,” said Leigh cerns about large school enviBortins, Classical Conversa- ronment or education quality. “In Oklahoma, it is a contions founder. Like many parents who stitutional right that you are homeschool, Clinton said she able to homeschool,” said enjoys teaching her children Clinton. “We don’t have that how to learn new things while right in every state.” National Center for Edukeeping and strengthening cation Statistics has estimated their Christian world view. “Everything we learn and 1.5 millions students are teach to our children incorpo- homeschooled nationwide. Other homeschool groups rates God, so we learn about the world from a Christian in Enid include Enid Area Christian Home Educators perspective,” she said. While homeschooling and Enid Homeschoolers.
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Hadleigh Drown, Henry Davis, Callie Gentry and Madeline Brown (from left) listen to tutor Heather Goddard during a homeschool group session. It is estimated more than 36,000 Oklahoma students are homeschooled. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)
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Enid News & Eagle
Sunday, March 4, 2012
different
On a
Lincoln Academy offers teens education in a non-stressful way By Austin Prickett Staff Writer
Lincoln Academy specializes in building self-confidence, selfworth and self-discipline of Enid’s non-traditional students. Jarry Hillman, Lincoln Academy principal, said the school allows students to learn in a positive, non-stressful environment and helps transform them into productive members of the community. The academy enrolls students having issues with public school classes, who are close to dropping out or who have dropped out. “Our goal is for students to get a high school diploma,” Hillman said. “All students can learn, just in different manners, rates and reasons.” The school teaches under the motto of “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” “Once we show these kids how much we care for them, it becomes much easier to teach them,” Hillman said.
College material The school offers classes for those in grades 6-12 from Longfellow and Waller middle school and Enid High School districts. Morning classes are set for students close to dropping out, and night classes are for those who have dropped out. Students in drop-out recovery must interview to earn a spot in the academy. Hillman said vocational training and counseling are big parts of the school.
“All of our students are counseled,” Hillman said. Students can participate in Enid High School extra-curricular activities, and they graduate through Enid High. “Our students are just as good as other students; they just have an issue with attendance, depression or are discouraged,” Hillman said. “Once we figure out what their problem is; it helps us to better teach them.” Enrollment at the school usually falls between 80 and 90 students, according to Hillman. The classes fill up fast, and potential students often are placed on a waiting list. With six full-time teachers and one counselor, students have the opportunity to interact more with their teachers. “The students feel like we care for them,” Hillman said. “We become one, big family.” He said small class sizes allow for more individualized curriculum. “We focus on upgrading selfworth and work hard on setting goals. A lot of our students attend Autry Technology Center and then move on to colleges,” Hillman said, adding all 59 students in the 2011 senior class graduated.
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Award-winning The alternative education format has long attracted those more comfortable outside the traditional school setting, and teen mothers often feel they fit in well at Lincoln Academy. Hillman said the school currently has around 20 teen moms attending class. “We are very proud of our teen moms,” Hillman said. “It is very difficult to take care of a family and work toward your diploma.” Hillman said he gets the most joy out of his job when he sees discouraged kids realizing their educational potential. “It is so much fun to see the kids’ confidence build and see them blossom right in front of
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Lincoln Academy was founded in 1993. In 1998, It is so much fun to see the kids’ the school was confidence build and see them recognized by blossom right in front of you. Oklahoma ... I think improving a child’s Foundation for self-worth is more important.” Excellence as the best dropJarry Hillman, principal, out prevention Lincoln Academy program in the state. The award qualified the you,” Hillman said. “Test scores school for a national award, and are important, but I think improv- Lincoln was selected as the outing a child’s self-worth is more standing alternative school in important.” the nation in 1999. The school offers summer Hillman recently was awardcourses in English and history as ed GlobalHealth Inspiration well as mediation courses to help Award for making a difference in the community. students catch up on credits.
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Lincoln Academy student LeeAnn Hallman, teacher Kelli Irvin, student Kimberly Henry and counselor Susie Skaggs (from left) meet while school is in session. The academy is part of the Enid Public Schools district. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON)
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Enid News & Eagle
OBA is in a state of growth School completes 100th year, looks toward the future By James Neal Staff Writer Oklahoma Bible Academy finds itself in a state of continued growth and transition this spring as the school finishes its 100th academic year. OBA Headmaster Paul MacDonald will pass on the reins of the private Christian school, departing a facility situated between a major capital improvement project and a long-range, master plan that calls for more than doubling the size of the campus. MacDonald assumed the headmaster’s post at OBA five years ago after serving for 25 years at Emmanuel Christian School. He will move on after this school year to take over as headmaster at Crossings Christian School in Oklahoma City. MacDonald has overseen significant expansion at OBA during his term as headmaster, including the addition of sixth grade in 2009 and the completion last fall of the Centennial Building. OBA’s enrollment, currently about 280 students, has grown by approximately 50 percent in the last 10 years. “Some of that growth has been due to the fact that we added the sixth grade, and some of it is that we have
Oklahoma Bible Academy dedicated its Centennial Building last August. The addition to the main building includes five classrooms, a lectorium and a two-court practice gymnasium (above). The school has a long-range, master plan (left) that calls for more than doubling the size of the campus. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON) larger classes now,” MacDonald said. The school dedicated the Centennial Building last August. The addition to the main building includes five classrooms for middle school students, a lectorium and a two-court practice gymnasium. MacDonald said the price tag for the new building, $1.3 million, was minimized by the donation of labor and services from board members and parents. “It’s a lot of building for $1.3 million,” MacDonald said, “and it will serve the school well for a long time.” The building was designed with the expectation of later expansion to the south. Plans
call for the building to be expanded by as much as 50 percent to include locker rooms and bleachers for the gymnasium, which would become the school’s primary gymnasium. MacDonald said the existing gym could become the practice gym or could be converted into classrooms, but those plans still are tentative. More ambitious objectives in the school’s master plan include expanding the campus and facilities to the south and east of the current grounds. MacDonald said OBA owns 125 acres, including the current campus, but most of that ground is undeveloped. “There’s plenty of poten-
tial here for expansion, and I expect a lot of that will depend on how fast Enid grows,” he said. The master plan, which has no associated timetable for completion, includes construction of a field house, wellness center, larger classroom building, chapel and fine arts center. The plan also calls for constructing a football stadium, tennis courts, new baseball and softball fields and soccer fields. MacDonald said the school’s development plans are “parked in a good place for now, and appropriately so, until the new headmaster comes in.” Regardless of the pace with which the school pursues
its physical expansion, MacDonald said he expects academic and spiritual growth to continue unabated under a new headmaster. “I don’t want technology and new buildings to be window dressing,” he said. “I want real, quantitative measures to show we’re doing something at OBA.” “We want to provide a good spiritual foundation, because we care about where your kids are going to be 1,000 years from now, and we want to provide academic rigor, because we want them to have the tools to succeed 10 years from now. We want to continue to focus on spiritual foundation and to keep up our academic rigor.”
When it comes time to leave OBA this spring, MacDonald said he will be leaving with mixed emotions. “OBA is a really good school, with really good kids who are really engaged in their spiritual life and their academics,” MacDonald said. “We’re going to Crossings more because I think they need some really mature leadership there, and I have been leading Christian schools for the better part of my adult life.” MacDonald said he will continue to serve full-time as OBA’s headmaster through graduation. He expects the school’s board of trustees will name his successor within the next six weeks.
n a i t s Chri
Enid area offering By Phyllis Zorn Staff Writer
-based schools
Hillsdale Christian School
A number of schools in and around Enid offer Christian-based curriculum, most providing elementary education but one offering high school classes and another boasting both elementary and high school study.
St. Paul’s Lutheran School St. Paul’s Lutheran School is the longest-operating private school in Enid, having opened its doors in 1941. Children now walk the halls in their parents’ and grandparents’ footsteps. St. Paul’s is accredited through Oklahoma State Board of Education, and offers all-day pre-kindergarten through sixth grade. Third and fourth grades are combined in one classroom, as are fifth and sixth grades. Members of Lutheran churches get a tuition discount, and multi-children discounts and scholarships are offered. Before- and after-school care is available at St. Paul’s.
Emmanuel Christian School
Students sit in class at Hillsdale Christian School. Located in Hillsdale, the school opened in 1982 as an alternative for parents who didn’t want their grade-schoolers bused to Kremlin when schools consolidated. (Staff File Photo by BONNIE VCULEK)
Emmanuel Christian School offers pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The school opened in 1981 as an outreach of Emmanuel Baptist Church. The school building was renovated in honor of the 50th anniversary of the church last year.
Hillsdale Christian School, located in the small town of Hillsdale, opened in 1982 as an alternative for parents who didn’t want their grade-schoolers bused to Kremlin when schools consolidated. It is housed in the former Hillsdale K12 school building built by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) after the original Hillsdale school was destroyed by fire. This year marks the school’s 30th year. It currently has 75 students ranging from pre-schoolers to sixthgraders. Hillsdale Christian School is nondenominational and operates a bus that picks up students from two locations in Enid, Locke Supply and Oklahoma Bible Academy. It is accredited through the state department of education and Oklahoma Private School Association.
Saint Joseph Catholic School Saint Joseph Catholic School, on the south side of St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, reopened its doors after 25 years in fall 2001. The school offers pre-kindergarten through sixth grade and is affiliated with St. Francis Xavier and St. Gregory the Great Catholic churches.
Bethel Baptist Academy
Bethel Baptist Academy, at Enid’s Bethel Baptist Church, uses a curriculum designed for pre-schoolers through 12thgraders as a self-paced study in a oneroom atmosphere. Accelerated Christian Education is the curriculum company as well as accrediting agency for Bethel. The school doesn’t operate on a “grade level” scenario but tests students when they enroll and assigns curriculum where they fit in. Thus a student might study math at a level public schools consider one grade and English at another level. The curriculum is divided into “paces.” A pace is equal roughly to a grade-level in public schools.
Oklahoma Bible Academy Oklahoma Bible Academy offers middle school and high school education. Although the school is 100 years old, it came to Enid in 1983 from its previous home in Meno. The private secondary school was founded in 1911 as Meno Preparatory School, operated by New Hopedale Mennonite Church. It now stands independent of the Mennonite church, and students come from an assortment of denominations.
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Foundations for learning
Enid and area schools’ fundraising groups bringing innovative projects to classrooms By Bridget Nash Staff Writer State and federal education funding often leaves teachers wishing for more ways to bring innovative learning into the classroom. Public school foundations have stepped up to the plate, raising money and awarding teacher grants to bring new and exciting curriculum in the classrooms and make learning come alive. Enid Public School Foundation has been able to fund $20,000 in grants for teachers this year alone, providing enhanced learning materials to supplement curriculum. “The Enid Public School Foundation puts dollars where it matters most — in the classroom with our students,” said Amber Graham Fitzgerald, EPS director of community relations. “The foundation enriches the school experience for children by giving educators tools to teach in even more creative and innovative ways.” Kim Blankenship, executive director of Enid Public School Foundation, said signature donors in the community help their cause by investing in Cherokee Strip Community Foundation, an endowment from which dividends are used to provide teacher grants. Enid Public School Foundation
also holds fundraisers to raise money and provides scholarships to teachers who want to pursue a higher degree, said Blankenship. In the past, Festival of the Stars was a regular fundraiser for the foundation, but this spring the group will revamp the fundraiser in hopes of creating a community event. “The ‘E’vent” will be in April and feature school bands as well as other performers such as Enid alumni and local musicians. “We really want to get this to be a big event and get community support, not just parent support,” Blankenship said. The foundation also hosts a fall fundraiser during which they honor a community member who has made an impact on the district. “The Foundation has also played a critical role in outfitting our classrooms with the latest technology for students,” Fitzgerald said. Recently, Foundation members learned the district was in need of 69 SmartBoards to outfit all core curriculum classrooms. During the 2010-11 school year, the foundation raised $125,000, with another $125,000 donated by the Paul Allen family. The SmartBoards soon will be in the classrooms. But school foundations are most recognized for teacher grants, and in Enid those days do not disappoint.
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Kaleb Reddick (top left) begins an art project while Saige Kinsey and Madyson Jennerjohn (above) work on their art during the Art Smart class at Pleasant Vale Elementary School. The class is funded by a grant from the Pioneer-Pleasant Vale School Foundation. (Staff Photos by BILLY HEFTON) Grant days are exciting times for foundation members, teachers and students, Blankenship said. “We want the teachers to tap into creative ways to reach all children in the classrooms,” she said. “That is our mission: We want innovative, creative things going on that reach all children in the classroom.”
Pioneer-Pleasant Vale, Chisholm Enid’s Pioneer-Pleasant Vale and Chisholm school districts also have foundations the members of which
strive to bring innovation into the classrooms. “We know teachers are the forefront of the education system and we want to be able to help them,” said Ashley Ewbank of Chisholm Public School Foundation. Pioneer-Pleasant Vale has one of the youngest foundations, but members have worked hard to help teachers by awarding grants. “We’ve given over $20,000 back into the school system since 2004,” said Martha Gabriel, foundation president.
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Pioneer-Pleasant Vale Academic Foundation hosts an academic banquet each year to raise funds and recognize students, and the foundation is planning to bring back its popular Duck Derby fundraiser this year. Chisholm Public School Foundation’s primary fundraiser is Big Night Out, a dinner and auction. Recently, the foundation also started an endowment, Ewbank said, adding it “is something we are growing that will also contribute in the future.” There are more than 200 public school foundations in Oklahoma.
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Enid News & Eagle
true test
Carver Education Center offers adults chance to earn diploma equivalency By Robert Barron Staff Writer
Earning a GED is a major accomplishment and is much more difficult than people think. Clayton Nolen, director of Carver Education Center in Enid, said nationally about 40 percent of high school graduates cannot pass the test. Those who did not graduate high school must pass the GED tests to get an equivalent to a diploma, which is required of many employers. The test takes seven hours and 15 minutes to complete. Free preparatory classes are taught 9 a.m. to 11 a.m Monday through Thursday and 6-p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Carver Center, which is part of the Enid school system. Those enrolling in the classes must take TABE (Test of Adult Basic Education) and are placed in appropriate levels of instruction based on those outcomes. “Our major goal is improvement in academic skill level,” Nolen said. Courses can last 50 weeks or longer based on individual need. Some, Nolen said, have lasted up to 100 weeks. When an individual is ready to take the GED test, he or she must go the Carver Center, 815 S. 5th, and apply online.
• Language arts reading features 40 questions and a 65-minute time limit. The test covers literary text, including poetry, drama, fiction and nonfiction prose. • The fifth area of the test is mathematics. There are 50 questions, a 90-minute time limit and a calculator is provided. The testing covers numbers operation and sense, measurement and geometry. The second part is completed without a calculator and covers data analysis, statistics and probability, algebra, functions and patterns. Nolen said the test format will change in 2014. It will be based on common core
Clayton Nolen
Testing, testing In addition to offering prep classes, Carver is the area’s GED testing center, and Nolen is a certified GED tester. He said test fees have gone up $75 recently due to increasing costs from testing companies and other factors. There are five areas of the GED test, which is timed. • Language arts writing is the first area, with 50 questions that individuals have 75 minutes to complete. The test involves sentence structure, usage, organization, mechanics and an essay limited to 200 to 250 words. • Another section is social studies, consisting of 50 questions with an 80-minute time limit. The questions concern history, world history, economics, civics and government and geography. • In the science section there are 50 questions to be answered within a 50-minute time limit. The questions concern life, physical (chemistry and physics) and Earth and space science topics.
standards of education, he said, adding the test will contain rigorous content and application of knowledge through high order skills and will build on strengths and lessons of current state standards. Hopefully, Nolen said, all students will be prepared to succeed in a global economy. Carver Center has been asked to conduct a pilot program on the new test this summer.
Other programs In addition to its GED courses, Carver instructs free English as a second language classes, which are 6-9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday. Because of funding constraints this year, Carver had to eliminate afternoon ESL and satellite classes. Also, classes now are based on pre-enrollment; there is no open enrollment as there once was, Nolen said. The center also houses ACTION, formerly known as the gifted and talented program. Instructor Laurie Bushman goes to schools to teach students who qualify. There also are two Head Start classrooms for 3- to 4year-olds at Carver Center. Breakfast and lunch are contracted through Enid
Varna Nolen (top and above right) leads a class at Carver Education Center (middle right), which is located at 815 S. 5th. Mary Ann McCoy
(above left) instructs a science and social studies class at Carver Education Center. Clayton Nolen is center director. (Staff Photos by BONNIE VCULEK)
schools. The program’s eight staff members are administered through Opportunities Inc. in Watonga.
Reaching out Each afternoon Nolen goes to the Garfield County Detention Center to oversee the education programs offered. There is one teacher and a half-day assistant at the detention center. Nolen also goes to Integris Meadowlake Behavioral Center where there are five teachers on staff, and Sequoyah Boys Group Home where there are two teachers. All teachers are employed through Enid Public Schools. At Carver Center there is also an adult education secretary and five teachers, he said. “Oklahoma considers the GED the equivalent of a high school diploma, which has helped its recognition,” Nolen said. “Enid also has the third highest percentage of people passing the GED in the State of Oklahoma,” he said.
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Enid News & Eagle
Sunday, March 4, 2012
By Jeff Mullin Senior Writer
In the past, many students considering their futures didn’t think it was “cool” to pursue jobs involving technical skills. That may be about to change, said Autry Technology Center superintendent James Strate. “Over the last few years it seems like we’ve convinced everybody they need to have a white-collar job with a computer, and it was not cool to get your hands dirty,” he said. “We’ve got to swing that pendulum back the other way.” Presently in Enid, Strate said, there are more jobs available than there are trained workers to fill them. Autry is working to close that gap. “There are over a thousand openings for CDL truck drivers,” he said. “Diesel mechanics, welders, we could place a lot of them. But that’s a good problem to have. These are all good-paying jobs.” Autry receives calls every day from businesses looking to employ skilled laborers like welders and diesel mechanics. “We could place probably 100 certified welders,” Strate said. “And there’s a huge shortage of electricians.”
Have your cake and eat it, too Receiving technical training and pursuing a college degree is not mutually exclusive, Strate said. “All of our programs here, we have agreements with post-secondary institutions where they can get college credit,” he said. “It’s not an either-or like it used to be. There’s a mesh now. You can do both at the same time, very inexpensively.”
THAT IS
Students taking Autry courses students in business and industry violent offenders, most of whom to run that business,” Strate said. can receive credit from Northern training. The newest business academy are 18-21 years old. Oklahoma College for $8 per “We have over 20 full-time “We can place them as fast as began with 25 students. credit hour. For three years after employees just working with busi- we train them,” Strate said. “And “If five of the 25 go into busicompleting high school, eligible ness and industry,” Strate said. they go out of there starting usual- ness, it’s a success,” Strate said. area students can attend Autry tuition-free, their only out-of-pocket costs being books or other related fees. Autry, the district for which encompasses all of Garfield County as well as parts of five other counties, offers 25 full-time, daytime educational programs. Five of those are fulltime adult programs, primarily in the field of health care. Strate said more than half of Autry’s daytime enrollment of some 700 students is made up of adults, while the rest are students from 10 area school districts. Adults are on campus for six hours a day, high Autry Technology Center superintendent James Strate says there are more jobs available than trained workers to fill them. (Staff Photo by BILLY HEFTON) schoolers for three. High school students and adults As part of its business and ly $14 to $18 an hour plus bene- “The other 20, if you’ve helped find themselves learning side-by- industry programs, Autry has part- fits. I look at that as a huge success them see that they don’t have a side, Strate said. nerships with various local busi- because I’d much rather for them good plan, that they don’t need to “Our programs are driven by nesses, Strate said, including to be out working and paying be going into business, you’ve the local industry needs,” Strate AdvancePierre Foods, Oxbow taxes than for us to be paying for also done a service for them. said. Calcining, Koch Nitrogen, CSC them to be incarcerated.” There’s no need to risk your life Autry also offers a wide variety Applied Technologies and Midsavings to fail.” of evening classes, Strate said, Continent Packaging, among oth- Outside ventures Autry also is home to a branch everything from welding and elec- ers. Center for Business of Oklahoma School of Science tronics to cake decorating and dog “Our people are out there on a Development, which bears and Mathematics, which provides obedience. daily basis helping those business- Strate’s name, is, he said, “another classes for gifted students in sci“Health programs around here es be profitable and safe,” Strate exciting thing for Autry.” The cen- ence and math. are just exploding on us,” he said. said. “Whatever their training ter offers services and facilities to The future for Autry will needs are, we can tailor-make it.” help those attempting to start new involve added involvement with Getting out in the community Autry also offers a youthful businesses. At the center’s busi- business and industry, Strate said, Autry does more business and offender welding program at Enid ness academy, prospective entre- especially in the area of safety industry training than any other Woodring Regional Airport. This preneurs are taught how to prepare training. “It’s exciting to be a part of it,” school in the Oklahoma program, funded in part by the a business plan, how to secure CareerTech system. Last school state Department of Corrections is financing, accounting, marketing, he said. “Every day’s a different year, Strate said, Autry had 27,579 open to as many as 12 young, non- product design, “Whatever it takes day; there’s no two of them alike.”
ENROLL NOW! CLASSES START MARCH 20
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AUTRY TECH: EDUCATION Officials say school is ready to train the area work force
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