The North Union Board of Education learned of the new “pathways” from high school principal Janel Chapman during the regular Monday night meeting held at North Union High School.
The board took a tour of the high school facility before the meeting.
Chapman explained to the board that students are asked to enroll in a pathway in their freshman year. The “pathway” is a program teaching students to find a career and learn about it in their high school career.
The Ohio’s College Credit Plus pathway helps students earn college and high school credits at the same time by taking college courses from community colleges or universities while in high school. The program helps promote rigorous academic pursuits and to provide a wide variety of options to college-ready students.
Taking college courses from a public college is free, which means no cost to the family of public and private school students for tuition, books or fees. If they attend a private college or university, there may be limited costs. North Union students may elect to take courses that are offered at the high school, offered online or on a college campus and earn high school credit for these courses.
Chapman told board members there are six other pathway programs offered at North Union: FFA Agribusiness and Production Systems, Business and Administrative Services, Pre-Nursing Studies, Engineering, Construction Technologies and Interactive Media and Marketing.
Students participating in three of the pathway programs gave presentations of how the programs have advanced their education and that they are ready to go into the workforce or college to finish their degrees in one of the pathways they are enrolled in.
Also during the meeting, two awards were given. The February Community #NU Pride Award winner was Richwood resident Reddy Brown. Brown is an employee of Honda America and has been employed there for 30 years. He is also a member of the Pathway Advisory Board at North Union. He told board members how the students in the engineering class have visited Honda and learned about engineering applications, the use of robotics in the workforce and engineering design. He holds opportunities twice a year where engineering students can visit the Honda plant and learn about day-to-day operations.
Brown was also recognized for his volunteering and work with the North Union Athletic Committee (NUAC) and the cross country program and other athletic events at the high school.
The March Staff #NU Pride Award was given to Jennifer Willis. She has been a guidance counselor at NUHS for 20-plus years. North Union Superintendent Rich Baird and Chapman both praised her for her dedication to making sure students meet the requirements of graduation, working with students to acquire scholarships to further their education, and assisting students in scheduling classes. Willis also organizes a yearly Scholarship Event, which will be held on May 7. This is a prestigious event where students are awarded scholarships from various entities. Thousands of dollars are given out each year to further senior’s education after graduation.
In other business, the board:
–Set the next regular board meeting for Monday, April 15, at 6:30 p.m. at the North Union Middle School, where a tour of the building will be held at 6 p.m. Principal Matt Burggraf will give a school presentation at the meeting;
–Is working on the District Strategic Plan and will hold four special board meetings on March 26, April 17, April 29 and May 14 at the district offices.
–Approved, for liability purposes, Trenton Pugh (baseball), Ryan Cox (track) and Jennifer Lewis (field trip volunteer) as volunteers.
-Approved the 2019-20 school year’s curriculum code for the high school and middle school.
-Employed Tracy Zwayer as a high school robotics assistant.
–Approved Neil Swonger as a certified substitute personnel to be called on an as-needed basis.
–Approved Cynthia Seitz as a sweeper/cleaner, bus/van driver and Herbert “Bud” Beeney as a sweeper cleaner/custodian on an as-needed basis for the 2018-2019 school year.
-Accepted the resignation of Melanie Fifield, elementary teacher on a one-year unpaid leave, effective the end of the 2018-19 school year.
-Voted to approve an addendum to the employment contract of CFO/Treasurer Scott W. Maruniak, and an addendum to the Shared Services Contract with Mechanicsburg Exempted Village School District. Both addendums are effective Aug. 1 and contingent upon approval by Mechanicsburg Exempted Village Board of Education.
The board went into an executive session for the purpose of the purchase of property for public purposes or for the sale of property at competitive bidding with no business to follow.