KCSD showcases CTC students to elected officials

BALD EAGLE TOWNSHIP, PA – Students from the Keystone Central School District Career and Technology Center on Tuesday had the opportunity to showcase their accomplishments, the result of the district’s CTC operation on the Central Mountain High School campus. The occasion was a CTC Legislators’ Day, presented for the benefit of local elected legislators or their representatives.

Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about the 11 programs at the school: agricultural mechanization, automobile technology, child care, construction trades, cosmetology, culinary arts, diversified occupations, drafting and design, health occupations, natural resource management and precision machining.

CTC director Kurt Lynch told of the growth in the expanding CTC offerings, now with 570 student participants in grades nine through 12. He said new programs are being added, some tied in with Lock Haven University. Lynch lauded the school’s apprenticeship program, what he called, a “lifeblood” to local industry.

10 CTC students offered comments on their CTC experiences. Among them was senior Caleb Porter who said he joined the CTC program in his sophomore year and “loves it.” He is in natural resource management and plans to attend Penn Tech College in Williamsport. Porter talked of the multiple certifications he has received through his CTC schooling, including in forestry-related training. He said, “Everything I’m doing now is setting me up for success” at the college level.

The student speakers then led the visitors on a tour of the CTC facility. They were Porter, Jason Bechdel, Joseph Proctor, Allison Clausen, Joseph Caimi, Addison Kelley, Michael Houser, Robert Rupert, Melissa Clymer and Owen Gill.

KCSD Superintendent Jacquelyn Martin used the occasion with the legislative representatives to put in a plug for state passage of pending charter school reform legislation. She said the proposed legislation would save Keystone Central $1.2 million annually and make no changes in the programs for those currently enrolled with outside charter schools. Martin said the present state charter school law is hurting public school districts but not producing satisfactory academic results for local students choosing out of the area cyber options.

Attendees at the event included all three Clinton County Commissioners and representatives from these offices: Congressman G.T. Thompson, US Sen. Pat Toomey, state Sen. Chris Dush and state Sen. President Pro Tem Jake Corman.