MORAN — Plans continue at a rapid pace with the hopes the first classes can be held this fall at a technical education center in LaHarpe.
Several school district representatives met Tuesday morning at Marmaton Valley High School, as did presidents of three community colleges, John Masterson of Allen, Brian Inbody of Neosho County and Alysia Johnston of Fort Scott.
At least nine school districts, including all three in Allen County, have begun working in league with the community colleges to develop vocational-style classes to be offered at the old Diebolt Lumber buildings.
A subcommittee was formed Tuesday to hammer out logistics for initial class offerings, USD 257 Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn told the Register.
“What we’d really like is for each of the community colleges to have at least one class going this fall,” Koehn said. “That way we can work things out” before the tech ed center expands.
The colleges still are huddling to determine which classes they can offer.
The subcommittee will look at such things as ensuring the Diebolt facilities are up to code in order to serve as classrooms in the fall; what type of equipment needs to be secured; and funding sources to get that equipment.
The tech ed center would provide more extensive instruction than introductory industrial arts classes offered at each high school. Some classes would be dual credit, in which students would earn both high school and college credits for the same coursework. Other courses also would provide more specific certification.
The end goal is to make high school graduates more marketable to the workforce upon graduation.
The facilities will be leased to the community colleges by LaHarpe businessman Ray Maloney, who purchased much of the Diebolt property earlier this year. Maloney has been an ardent supporter of a tech ed center in southeast Kansas.
