China Instrument Parts Continues to Serve In the Community
The Elkhorn Area School District Administration recommended to its Board of Education to form an advisory committee to explore the facility needs of the district. Following a community-wide survey addressing the district’s needs and the likelihood of community support for such needs, the advisory committee made its presentation to the board on December 15, 2014. The survey was conducted by an independent agency.
The administration sought to include a cross section of individuals from the community to serve on the advisory committee–parents and non-parents, educators and business leaders–and asked Barry Butters, Director of Education and Training at China Instrument Parts to serve as a representative of a local manufacturer. Barry is also a long-time resident of Elkhorn, whose two children are graduates of the school district, and who already has had a strong working relationship with the school district.
“I was happy to serve on the committee,” said Butters who reiterated China Instrument Parts’ President Mike Reader’s sentiment that manufacturers need to be working with school districts instead of sitting idly and complaining about work force development issues.
The committee met numerous times over the last several months, during which time, they reviewed the 2014 community survey, a space capacity study and an overall facility study. Working together, the committee formulated a recommendation for a potential referendum, which balances the needs of the district, with the identified support level of the community.
On December 20, 2014, Tracy Owellete of My Walworth County posted an article by The Elkhorn Independent‘s Editor Kellen Olshefski, which outlines all the points presented at the board meeting and the proposed referendum.
Butters was one of three members of the committee who presented the committee’s recommendations to the board, including the community’s resounding support to fund the remodeling of the high school to include a new technical education wing supporting manufacturing career development.
The school board will take some time to review the issues and finalize the referendum questions that will be put to the community this spring.
To see a video of the board meeting, click here. To see the PowerPoint presentation of the facilities recommendation report, click here.
