Business View Magazine June 2023

184 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 10, ISSUE 6 funding and support it in different ways.” Given the smaller size of the schools, there may be limited student enrollment in certain specialized classes such as physics, agriculture, or psychology. Consolidating these classes across the district allows for better use of resources, and the ability to offer a wider range of subjects. Providing a variety of educational opportunities is another priority for East Porter County School Corporation, and Case maintains that this also requires some out-of-the-box thinking to make it work. “When I came to East Porter, they did not have an agricultural teacher. So, we hired someone, but once again, we had to think differently,” he relays. “So, instead of having an ag teacher at each campus, we have a single teacher. We’re leveraging the fact that we are a middle- sized district, but then offering that class for the other campuses, where they can either drive to that particular campus if they’re old enough to drive or offer it in a virtual component so that they have access.” Superintendent Case emphasizes the importance of collaboration and partnerships within Porter County in also providing diverse opportunities for students. The Porter County Career Center, with the participation of all seven school districts, ensures that students from across the county have access to a variety of programs such as agriculture, law enforcement, firefighting, paramedics, construction, and mechanics. As well, the district partners with Northwest Indiana Ready, to direct students to apprenticeships with local industries, including those in the agricultural sector, to provide real-world experiences and career pathways. Offering her final thoughts, Schnick highlights the focus on curriculum and programming that provide amazing opportunities to the students at East Porter County Schools. “East Porter is focused on kids and is focused on developing curriculum and programs that help them grow and excel,” she asserts. “Although we have three campuses, during the day we’re working together. We are collaborating to make sure that we provide opportunities for our kids to excel. After school when it comes to sports and extracurriculars, we’re in competition. So, during the day, we’re one, after school, we’re three.” In conclusion, Niebel remarks, “We have really great people leading the charge with our kids and making sure that we can afford them all the opportunities to be successful adults. We are very fortunate here to have all of those things in our favor to prepare the kids for whatever avenue that they might go down as young adults.” PREFERRED VENDOR/PARTNER n Low Associates www.lllow.com