Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Committee ponders conversion from high school to work place

The Perkins Advisory Committee met on Thursday, June 15, and elected new officers.

This years president is Mark Crawley, and the secretary is Randy Lynn, both of Gurdon.

Stacy Stone, Gurdon High Schools agriculture teacher, presided over the meeting, as committee chairperson Bonnie Ross was unable to attend.

The Perkins Advisory Committee meets twice a year and is designed to bridge the gap between what is offered in high school and what is expected by employers.

Stone said grants are available though this Arkansas Perkins program for courses that might help bridge that gap and meet the needs in the community.

Areas under consideration for new courses are: horticulture, commercial cooking and computer technology.

The changes were discussed but no resolutions were passed at the meeting.

Cheryl Smyly, business and technology instructor at GHS, said new computer equipment and software will be a big help in meeting technological backgrounds needed by upcoming graduates.

"We require one semester of computer application already," she said. "Every student in Arkansas is required a course in technology."

Smyly said going beyond the requirement could help better prepare students for employment.

Tara Williams, consumer science teacher, said more space would be needed if a commercial kitchen class was to be set up.

Stone said the school would need a greenhouse to set up a horticulture class.

The next Perkins Advisory Committee meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.