The Warren County School District is looking to add to its career center opportunities.
During the school board’s recent committee meetings, Board Member Mary Passinger suggested the district look into an “autopsy table” for the medical assisting program.
She saw the virtual equipment at a recent conference.
The program was situated on a “regulation gurney,” she said.
“Four people donated their bodies to science,” Passinger said.
Images of those people’s bodies were uploaded for the program.
“It was incredible,” she said. “It would be really something for our medical program.”
She said the cost was $100,000, but that the equipment would not require frequent updates and upgrades and estimated that it would last at least 10 years. “It’s one of the few things I’ve seen anywhere, that I thought, that’s worth the money,” Passinger said.
Board President Paul Mangione pointed out that the program includes the potential for use in veterinary applications, with uploads of various animals, “in addition to the four humans.”
Board Member Donna Zariczny suggested looking into medical- and health-related grant funding for the equipment.
Following that discussion, Superintendent Amy Stewart said the pandemic interrupted plans for additions to the career center’s offerings.
“We have a lot of things going on with the career center right now,” Stewart said. “The facility was completed during the pandemic with spaces that are flexible. It’s time to address those.”
“They’ve had programs on deck since before the pandemic,” Stewart said.
Among those are programs that would prepare students for careers in forestry and oil and gas development — “Needs in the community,” she said.
The district is not at liberty to choose whatever programs it would like.
There is a list of “high-priority occupations” at the state level that school districts have to put a certain degree of focus on.
“There are lists that say what we can’t do and what we can do,” Stewart said. “Can we get past the high-needs list?”
