June 23, 2003
The Muskegon Chronicle
By Lynn Moore

Plans are on track to partially open the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center for high school students at Muskegon Community College this fall.

The voter-approved, taxpayer-funded technical and vocational education center will open with six programs on the college campus, including new financial management and computer network/information systems courses.

In addition, a new cosmetology program will be offered through Booker Institute of Cosmetology, which is constructing a new facility in the former Etterman's Supermarket in Lakeside.

Seven existing programs that the center is taking over from a consortium of school districts will be offered at Muskegon Public Schools. Eight programs will be added when a new building is constructed on the MCC campus for the 2004-05 school year.

"We're on track for a partial fall start-up," said Michael H. Bozym, superintendent of the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, which will operate the center. "We've got a full-court press."

The MAISD board last week approved the purchase of $171,000 in equipment for the machine technology classroom and $19,400 worth of PowerMac computers and support materials for the center.

And the board reviewed bids and selected Booker to provide the cosmetology instruction, which will occur at Booker's facilities.

The six programs that will be housed at MCC's Higher Education Center for 2003-04 are graphic arts/printing, commercial arts, financial management, computer network/information systems, computer-aided design and machine technologies.

"We're in the process now of getting staffing for the new programs," said Mike Carpenter, principal of the Career Tech Center.

Voters in the intermediate school district in September approved a 1-mill property tax to raise $3.4 million annually for the center. Another $1 million per year in state matching funds also will be used for the center, the first time that money has been available to the county.

The college's board of trustees selected Hooker/DeJong Architects-Engineers as architect and Muskegon Construction Company as the manager for construction of the new Career Tech Center building.

College and intermediate school district officials and teachers have been working with the architect and construction company to design the new building, Carpenter said. Seven business and labor advisory committees also are providing advice on program content.

Meanwhile, existing labs at the college's Higher Education Center are being wired for new Career Tech Center equipment and Carpenter and MAISD Director of Career and Technical Education Gary Martin have moved into new offices on campus.

So far, 500 juniors and seniors have enrolled in the Career Tech Center for 2003-04, though officials expect that number will grow, Carpenter said. When in full operation -- with 22 program offerings -- the center is expected to serve 1,000 students.

The center will replace the consortium of eight local school districts that currently offers high school vocational programs primarily at Muskegon High School. It will be open to all 12 school districts in the county as well as parochial and charter schools.

Whitehall, Montague, Holton and Ravenna school districts currently contract with the Newaygo County Career-Tech Center for technical training of their students, and will continue to do so until the Muskegon Area Career Tech Center is fully established at MCC, Carpenter said.