GENTRY -- Gentry City Council, on July 6, accepted the apparent low bid of Industrial Controls of Oklahoma to complete an upgrade of electrical controls at a sewer department pump station and heard a report from Judy Winslett, assistant superintendent of Gentry Public Schools, on plans to make Gentry graduates more career ready upon graduation from Gentry High School.
Out of three bids received by the city for electrical upgrades to a sewer department pump station, only one of the three had the required bonds. The bid of Industrial Controls for $40, 463 was accepted. The two other bids, which were not submitted on the proper bid forms and lacked the required bonds, ranged from $39,652 to $48,225.
The electrical system upgrade is being paid for by American Electric Power and Southwest Electric Power Company, but bids and work orders were being handled through the city.
Conversion Charter School
With the shift in educational philosophy toward making graduates not only college ready but career ready, the Gentry School District is applying for a conversion charter school at the high school to better prepare students to enter the work force with job skills upon graduation, Winslett told the council.
Winslett said the school district hopes to get approval for a charter school but is already working to provide a certified nurse aide program this fall and a patient care assistant class in the spring. She said the classes would be provided through Northwest Arkansas Community College if the college can find a teacher for the programs. She said planning was under way for other medical programs in the future.
She also mentioned an introduction to teaching program being planned which would give high school students a taste of teaching before graduation so they can see if that is a career they would like to pursue in college.
Other classes and programs in discussion include banking and finance, entrepreneurship and career and professionalism. She said a pilot program was planned to teach students the soft skills needed to seek and keep a job. Winslett said there was a desire to have a diesel mechanic program, but the cost of equipment might make it prohibitive.
She also told the council of a consortium formed between the Gentry, Decatur and Gravette schools to provide additional opportunities for students and of the award of an EAST Initiative Lab to the school district. She said the school district would like to see a vocational center on the west side of the county in the future.
She asked for the help of council members in gaining community support and for input from the community and businesses to assist the school in developing vocational training.
General News on 07/15/2015