PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Progressive Technologies, Inc. www.thinkprogressive.com Progressive Technologies, Inc is a sole source partner for Security and Life Safety in hundreds of school districts across multiple states. We design, install, maintain, test and monitor, Security Camera’s, Access Control, Vapor Detection, Fire Alarm, Intrusion and Intercom. PTI is an industry leader for data/structured cabling, fiber, and IP phone systems. LOOKING AHEAD: CLEARING THE PATH For Smith, the future is about perfecting, not pioneering. The focus is on executing existing programs with precision to ensure they fully serve students and the local economy. Smith’s vision is clear and sustainable, “it’s having those programs and really clearing the path for these jobs that will be here and our students finding a place in the community.That’s really what we want to do moving forward.” This final step ensures every student has a direct route to a meaningful future in Mena. THE MENA BLUEPRINT: EDUCATION AS AN ECONOMIC CATALYST Mena Public Schools demonstrates how a rural district can drive regional economic development. By operating on the principle that “ideas and skills are more valuable than credits or degrees,” it has built a self-sustaining ecosystem. Through deep industry integration, strategic investments in people and technology, and a focus on local career pathways, the district offers a replicable model of proactive leadership. Mena’s story goes beyond education, it provides a blueprint for how institutional vision can cultivate a prepared workforce and a stable, economically vibrant community. 252 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 06, ISSUE 10
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