The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation is launching a new vocational program for area students in the fall. Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin says N.J.-S.P. has sent students to Knox and Plymouth for various vocational programs over the years.
“It’s not about competition. In my mind it’s not about seeing how many buses you can send into the next district. It’s about how can these small schools with declining enrollment, with declining population – how can we offer quality education for all of our students, and the vocational programs are perfect for that.”
Zupin says N.J.-S.P.’s vocational offering is an extension of one of the corporation’s most popular areas of elective study.
“We are offering ag courses and industrial arts classes in the area of woods and small engines at North Judson-San Pierre. So if Knox students interested in agriculture or woods or small engines, if they are interested they need to talk to their guidance counselor and see about enrolling in this block of time.”
Zupin adds N.J.-S.P. is looking at a total of 14 students for the fall program launch. She notes it may take a little while for the new offering to catch on with students from other corporations.
“Right now the norm is that Knox offers those vocational courses. This is kind of a new thought process in that you can travel over to North Judson. We’ve had students in the past do that. They came over for one period. Now we’re offering it. To me it’s just more cost effective and time effective having that block of time.”
Students are in the process of scheduling fall classes now, so Zupin says it’s too early to say how much interest there is in the program from outside the school district.
