Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Farmington Gets Tech Courses
NTI CLASSES WILL BE OPEN TO ALL AREA SCHOOLS
FARMINGTON — Farmington School Board recently gave its approval to allow Northwest Technical Institute to use classrooms in the Farmington Freshman Academy building to offer four technical courses to students in Farmington and other high schools in Washington County.
Stephanie M. Trolinger, secondary career center director with NTI, said the technical school already is offering three of the courses at other campuses and it makes sense to make them available in the southern part of Washington County. These courses are certified nursing assistant and patient care assistant, dental assisting and criminal justice.
The fourth course would be computer engineering and Trolinger has requested approval to start computer engineering as a new pathway for NTI.
The new classes would start in 2017-18. School officials have received preliminary news the new high school will be ready in August 2017. If that’s the case, the Freshman Academy would move into the main part of the old high school building, freeing up space in the Freshman Academy.
Bryan Law, superintendent of schools, said two Farmington High School students travel every day to take CNA classes in Rogers.
“That’s silly,” Law told board members. “They need to bring those things to us and they know that.”
NTI partners with NorthWest Community College on some of the courses and the college has agreed to the change, Tolinger said. NTI would offer these classes at no cost to students.
Students who complete the criminal justice pathway would earn 18 college credit hours. Students who finish the healthcare-related classes would be able to receive a
certification which would in some cases allow them to go straight to work in that field.
Trolinger said NTI is interested in setting up a regional tech center in Farmington that would be accessible to students in Farmington, Prairie Grove, Lincoln, Fayetteville, West Fork, Greenland, and Elkins high schools.
“This is exc it i n g ,” Trolinger said. “I think it will be a great thing.”
“I truly believe this could be the beginning of something that could grow to a bigger level,” Law said, noting the NTI classes would help meet needs in the southwest corridor of Washington County. “If the program grows, it eventually could take over the whole building.”
Clayton Williams, assistant principal of Farmington High Career Academies, said the NTI courses would dovetail with the school’s career academies’ model of education.
Board member Amy Hill expressed her support for the NTI classes.
“Some kids come in and do not know what they want to do,” said Hill. “The more things we offer kids, the better. It gives another avenue for kids.”
Law said NTI would be considered a standalone entity within the school. Farmington students attending NTI classes would fall under NTI rules and policies.
NTI already offers one class of medical professions on the Farmington campus. This class gives students a general overview of careers available in the medical field.
“The more things
we offer kids, the better. It gives another avenue for kids.” Amy Hill Board Member