Western Center Sees Enrollment Increase

principal Robert Weneck announced at Monday's Joint Operating Committee meeting that, as of Monday, the school's enrollment will increase about 17% from last year.

"We had outstanding recruitment efforts by teachers and staff and from community events," Weneck said.

This past year, the school and the sending districts changed their recruiting tactics. Both and Pottsgrove districts sent all their freshmen on visits to the school.

Weneck said that after those visits, the school followed up with students and those who were interested were allowed to come back and spend a half-day in the classes of the program they wanted to explore.

Administrative Director Joe Greb said the districts gave the school "more opportunities than ever before" to reach interested students.

The school will be offering half-time dental and graphic design programs next year.

Committee chairman William Scott commended Spring-Ford Area School District for stepping up their recruitment efforts. Spring-Ford's enrollment will increase approximately 27 percent next year.

"The most effective recruiting is those students who come here and have a positive experience, they will tell their younger friends and siblings," Greb said.

"We need to support ongoing efforts [to recruit]," Spring-Ford school board member Dawn Heine said.

In other business, the committee discussed the that was brought up at last month's meeting.

"My board [Upper Perkiomen School District] will not support a budgetary reserve," Scott said.

Pottsgrove board member Philip Keogh said it was also "very clear from the reaction of our board that there would not be support for a budgetary reserve."

Edward Dressler said Spring-Ford's opinion was less clear and questioned how, if Spring-Ford wanted to vote in a budgetary reserve, they could do so.

"You'd have to pass an amendment to the final budget," Solicitor Marc Davis explained.

The Joint Operating Committee will vote on a final budget next month, which will then be sent to the sending districts.

The committee also voted to reduce the position of school-to-work coordinator to a half-time job instead of a full-time job.