With a strategic approach to utilizing bonded resources, the district prioritizes the expansion of academic spaces, emphasizing the value of these investments. Dr. Lorey describes the recent completion of an expansion to the CTE wing at Jasper High School, underscoring the value of aligning learning spaces with the diverse range of career and technical education programs offered. “We felt like it was important for those spaces to be set up in a way that it would be conducive to the kinds of hands-on learning opportunities that those types of courses afford, as well as making sure that they’re secure and safe as well,” she conveys. Ireland Elementary School has also undergone an expansion, with additional classroom space meant to expand early learning opportunities in the community. “We have been more intentional about prekindergarten learning and trying to expand resources there.We’ve had a developmental preschool program, but we have tried to reach out and gain more students into our school as 4-year-olds, to ready them for school-age kindergarten,”Dr. Lorey recounts. “We also are looking into adding additional pre-K space at Jasper Elementary School in the future.” FUTURE VISION Looking ahead to 2024, Dr. Lorey outlines her key priorities, which include expanding resources for the youngest learners in pre-kindergarten programs and further enhancing college and career preparation opportunities. “One of the things, in the state of Indiana, that we have been striving for is making sure that our students have access to the Indiana College core, which would afford them enough credits through a university that could get them an associate degree before graduating from high school,” she elaborates. “We’ve been working in that direction, and we have lots of post-secondary credentials that our kids can Partnerships That Help Students Thrive 318 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 5, ISSUE 03
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