space, a space that can be modified over time to meet and bring different career opportunities or pathways.” COMMUNITY-CONNECTED EDUCATION Perry Township Schools’ transformation rests on institutional alignment of the school board and administrative leadership with classroom teachers and families. Dr. Spray describes this unified direction as essential for sustainable change rather than temporary initiatives that fade when leadership changes. “We’re very much aligned and committed to K-12 Career-Connected Learning from the school board to the administration to our staff. The messaging to our families is that through our project-based learning initiatives, our kids must explore careers much earlier than they ever have,” Dr. Spray says. “We’ve also got to make sure that we’re preparing kids for those careers in high school so they can be successful beyond graduation.” Funding remains a practical concern. The district draws on multiple revenue streams, including Perkins grants, state career and technical education funding, and foundation support.“It requires staffing. It requires funding from the state with some of the career and technical funding levels,” Dr. Spray explains. “It starts with that commitment of where we are and how we’re going to fund this experience going forward, and how we carve that out of our budget and make sure it’s impactful for the students.” Knight sees the University of Indianapolis partnership as particularly valuable for expanding student horizons.“On the Southside of Indianapolis, 203 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 PERRY TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS
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