and technology training programs.“We’re fortunate to have Lakeland College within our division. They provide robust career and technology training to students in grades 10 to 12. Programs include mechanics, welding, carpentry, electrical, esthetics, hairstyling, and interior design,” she explains. Moreover, through this partnership, grade 12 students benefit from university-level courses in psychology and sociology. “These courses are free for our students and transferable to universities nationwide. Some of our students achieve higher grades than their first-year university counterparts,” Webb proudly notes. Additionally, students can complete a full year of apprenticeship in welding and automotive technician courses, culminating in writing their apprenticeship and training exams. Trodden expands on the variety of work experience programs available. “We have a robust work experience program where students partner with various job sites to learn essential skills. This can range across multiple fields, leading to internship programs for more in-depth exposure. Additionally, we offer registered apprenticeship programs, where students work alongside journeymen, logging hours that count toward their future qualifications.” One unique aspect of BTPS’s approach is the green certificate program tailored for students interested in agribusiness.“Our students can specialize in areas such as cow and calf, poultry, grain, and equine,” Trodden explains. “They undergo rigorous training and testing, ultimately earning a green certificate, which is recognized and valued by colleges and businesses.” STRATEGIC INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE Beyond its innovative educational programs, Buffalo Trail Public Schools strategically invests in critical areas to support and enhance the learning environment. These investments are geared towards strengthening high school programming, transportation, and facility maintenance to ensure education quality and students’ well-being across its rural communities. Peter Neale, Secretary-Treasurer, emphasizes the district’s unique approach to high school education. “We prioritize high school programming within all our school communities, avoiding the composite high school model where students are bused to a central hub. This means investing in synchronous and asynchronous learning programs to ensure that even small schools with around 150 K-12 students offer a comprehensive education,” he explains. Neale also highlights the district’s investments in transportation, which supports over half of its students daily across a vast 15,000 km² area. “We allocate nearly $7 million annually to maintain our transportation system. One of our Board’s success metrics is keeping student bus ride times to no more than 75 minutes per trip. To achieve this, we have 7 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 05, ISSUE 08 BUFFALO TRAIL PUBLIC SCHOOLS
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