The parking lot was full of cars and trucks Monday night. So were about 20 chairs in the audience at the Hennessey Board of Education meeting. They were filled with administrators and teachers from the Chisholm Trail Technology Center to show they’re serious about wanting Hennessey to join their tech district.

Hennessey students have been allowed to attend CTTC for two and a half years at a cost to HPS of $1,000 per student per semester in exchange for an agreement to call for a vote of HPS patrons to formally join the CTTC district, Chisholm Trail Superintendent Max Thomas told Hennessey board members.

In order to join the CTTC district, the Hennessey board would have to call an election and registered voters residing within the HPS district boundaries would have to approve the proposal, which would include an additional property tax assessment.

If voters approve joining the district, Hennessey High School students could attend CTTC tuition free and adults residing within the district would pay $2 per hour.

The original agreement with Hennessey was that the board would call an election in December 2020 to join the district for the current school year.

However, the agreement was extended an additional year at the request of former HPS Superintendent Dr. Mike Woods,Thomas said. Woods told him the reason was the school’s drop in gross production income and COVID.

CTTC Offers

If membership is approved in a district-wide vote, Thomas said CTTC will pay for student transportation to and from the school. Currently, HPS is busing students to the career tech.

He also wants to put a satellite campus in Hennessey, and said CTTC would pay to remodel current Hennessey structures as necessary. That campus could also serve Dover and Okeene students.

Dover school district is already a member of CTTC, along with Kingfisher, Watonga and Lomega. Okeene has not yet joined.

Thomas said CTTC also would hire teachers and other staff needed at the campus in Hennessey.

CTTC has a 100% acceptance rate for high school students, the board was told. Also, there are no pre-admission screenings and they offer full accommodations for students with learning needs.

Thomas also said CTTC will not float a bond issue that would take potential dollars from the Hennessey school district.

Three years ago both CTTC and Enid’s Autry Vo-Tech made presentations to the board about joining their districts.

Board members expressed concern then about differences in travel time to CTTC’s Omega site (34 miles, 37 minutes) versus Enid (22 miles, 28 minutes). Currently Hennessey’s bus stops in Dover and also transports their students.

The board chose CTTC back then because, even though Autry offered more of a variety of classes, those classes were usually full, and CTTC had availability. CTTC also offers math and science classes and credits for HHS students.

HHS Enrollment at CTTC

A chart given the board shows 108 HHS students were enrolled at CTTC over the first two years, and 74 received certifications in their field of study (automotive service technology, 12; digital technologies, 33; health careers, 17, and welding, 12).

Career tech certificates allow students the opportunity to bypass college and find jobs in skilled trades or work part-time in those trades to help finance a college education, Thomas said.

The school also offers practical nursing, pre-engineering, cosmetology and cabinet making classes.

CTTC offers both morning and afternoon sessions and HPS ran a morning and afternoon bus the first two years, but this year is only busing students to morning classes.

There are only nine students enrolled at CTTC this year, and Thomas said Hennessey had no afternoon students, but didn’t know why, or why the enrollment numbers were so low this year. After the meeting, a board member told the Times & Free Press reporter he didn’t know why either.

Testimonials

Evelyn Ramirez, a 2021 HHS graduate, made an impressive talk, and given an ovation, about her experiences in the CTTC nursing program. She said she was immediately treated as an adult at the career tech, and said the instructors were helpful in every way possible.

She and three other nursing students are now employed at the Hennessey care facility, Ramirez said.

Molly Ryel, operations manager at Energy Meter Systems, said students who’ve come out of the CTTC work program have been beneficial to their company. One student is now making $20 an hour at the manufacturing company located on south US 81 in Hennessey. She said the company has been in business for 36 years. They make and install piping and measurement systems for natural gas companies.

A question about cyber security was answered from the audience by Jay Snowden, computer repair networking instructor. He said there are 23 students in the computer programs, and as soon as they are certified many go to work for Pioneer Telephone. He said one student started at $16 an hour and in three years is making $25 an hour.

The CTTC superintendent also said the school is able to help others in their district. He cited an incident when the computers at Cimarron Electric crashed and had to be repaired quickly.

“One of our teachers was able to save the information for them,” he said.