The Salem Community High School Board Monday night heard from the four seniors in the Little Egypt CEO program.
Jacob Thrash, Melanie Knaak, Payton Phillips and Jairen Stroud told the board it took conviction to stay with the program that has them develop a class business in the first semester and their own individual businesses in the second semester.
Superintendent Dr. Brad Detering is pleased with the opportunity the program that serves all six Marion County High Schools is giving to students.
“The CEO Program is going extremely well. We had one student last year, we had four this year and next year we have seven students in it so it continues to expand. The students we have in it come back and talk about their experiences. It’s not that they are out of school because they start their day at 7:15 a.m. so you have to have a little flexibility but they also have a little more time commitment. But its getting them exposed to businesses and small businesses that are of interest to them.”
The four students are preparing for their upcoming trade school on Thursday, April 25th, at the Greater Centralia Chamber of Commerce office. It will run from four to seven. Some students will be selling products they made at the show which is open to the public.
Detering also provided a third quarter budget update. He noted that expenses are in line or below what was anticipated, but the budget will still finishing the year with a deficit. Detering says that is because the district spent down surplus funds on the cafeteria improvement project completed last summer.
Detering noted work is already getting underway on this summer’s improvement projects.
“Some of the work in students services…the asbestos abatement occurred over spring break so all the carpet and tile is currently out of there so the student services department has a very urban look to it for the remainder of the school year and so then we will remodel that and put it back together. We are getting ready to go on the tile and locker project. Once again all those projects are being cash flowed through the revenues of 1% sales tax and just as we have budgeted them in the FY25 school year.”
Detering expects the new projects to all be completed before school resumes in August.
In personnel news, Kacey Puricelli was hired as a mathematics teacher, Dylan Corty as a physical education teacher and Deana Sullens as a kitchen helper.
