NRTC adds Maker Lab for use by students
Nevada Daily Mail
Some unused space at the Nevada Regional Technical Center has been turned into a facility to challenge the imagination and creativity of about 28 Nevada students in the fourth through the ninth grades during the month of February, Dr. Phillip Witt, NRTC director told the Nevada R-5 Board of Education at its monthly meeting Wednesday.
Witt told the board the facility was created through the volunteer efforts of 15 Nevada teachers. It has a white board, tables made by the welding class, a 3D printer and laser cutter.
The students who are taking part in this inaugural program were selected by district teachers from the high achieving students, like those in the Action classes, with the goal of getting students who would never consider classes at the Tech Center, to find out what is going on there.
Witt said a lot of programs are STEM related and there is a lot of emphasis on students going into science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs in college.
He said this program is hands-on, which is his favorite type of learning environment.
The students are divided into four teams and they spent the first week of February coming up with an idea and planning it out. The second and third weeks will be spent building and troubleshooting their project and the fourth week troubleshooting and testing.
Witt said on Feb. 28 he is planning to have an exhibition of the projects in the parking lot and an awards ceremony.
"It's phenomenal. It couldn't have come together better," Witt said.
The board also held a public hearing as required by law if the intention is to start the school year more than 10 days before the Labor Day weekend and voted 7-0 to start the 2015-16 school year more than 10 before Labor Day.
In a related matter voted unanimously to approve the 2016-17 calendar, with school starting Aug. 20 and ending May 23.
In other business the board:
* Voted unanimously to increase the tuition for NRTC's 10-month nursing program by $200, increasing the cost from $7,300 to $7,500, for the 2016-17 school year. Witt told the board there are currently 15 students in the LPN program and they are looking for more students. "Nineteen students makes the program revenue neutral," he said, adding there are already a lot of applications for next year's class.
* Voted unanimously to extend the district's contract with OPPA for food service.
* Voted unanimously to approve policy DK and INC. Policy DK allows the superintendent to authorize payment of previously budgeted goods or services prior to board approval when failure to provide payment would result in a penalty or additional costs, or would place the district in a position of disadvantage. Any such payment would be included in the list of bills for approval by the board at the next meeting.
Policy INK in a new Missouri State School Board policy incorporating the provisions of House Bill 1306.
* Voted unanimously to approve increasing the current random drug testing from four panels to 12 panels. This will include testing for prescription drugs. Assistant Superintendent Jodie McNeley said they are seeing more discipline problems that appear to be related to prescription drugs.
During the board's executive session resignations were accepted from: Janine Decker, high school math; Brent Bartlett, high school head girls basketball coach; Shirley Rainey, Foundation director; Megan Krogen, Bryan/Benton PE instructor and assistant high school volleyball coach; Padraic McHugh, Truman Elementary teacher; and Richard Starbuck, head middle school custodian.
The board was also informed of transfers including: Stanetta Hoover, Truman to Benton for the 2015-16 school year; Chrystie Braden form half-time at the middle school to half-time to high school; Mason Heard from Truman Elementary special ed. to high school special ed.; Ken Tillery, from middle school custodian to maintenance; and Keith Anderson, from maintenance to custodian.