Why Madison Consolidated Schools is leaving the Southeastern Career Center

Fall of 2020

Dr. Studebaker said “Madison’s Cub Manufacturing programs and partnerships with Ivy Tech and local industries can now provide better options for Madison students. He said that by Madison going its own way, programs can be better refined to serve local needs and prepare students for local job opportunities while also keeping them on campus where they can use the schools’ other educational opportunities.” 

Here are the details behind the decision to leave the Southeastern Career Center:

1. There was an approximate annual cost of $200,000 to the district to send 20 students to the center for courses, which pays for far more than transportation alone.

2. We have two donors who have stepped forward to provide funding for a new building on our high school campus (at NO COST TO THE SCHOOL) which will allow us to:

a. Utilize the new space for district-wide use for food service and maintenance storage.

b. Renovate the existing storage space to accommodate a larger, state of the art production facility which will house our expanded Cub Manufacturing and Cub Engineering programs.

c. With the expansion of the manufacturing and engineering programs, we will also renovate an existing building (which currently houses our alternative education program) to accommodate a (donated) paint booth and the Amatrol training lab for students in these programs.

d. With the relocation of the manufacturing and engineering programs across the campus, we will retrofit the existing space at MCHS to accommodate Diesel Mechanics and other, to be determined, programs on our campus which will serve the majority of the students currently enrolled at the SCC.

e. Our alternative education program will relocate to the former E.O. Muncie building to better accommodate and expand the services we offer to students who are enrolled in this program.

f. The only outlying element of this change are the students who are enrolled in the cosmetology curriculum and we are actively searching for solutions.

As a school district, we are charged with the education of all students using the most innovative approaches possible, creating opportunities for ALL students, using the most financially efficient ways possible, working with ever-decreasing funding across the board. As taxpayers, you expect that and as educators we work incredibly hard to balance the demands of the workforce, ensuring state educational standards are met, and we are challenging and caring for our students in engaging learning environments.

The Southeastern Career Center offers several certification opportunities for students. However, we are now able to offer many of these programs and certifications through evolving partnerships with LOCAL business leaders and educational institutions who want to keep our students in our community. Our goal is to provide a pathway to success for EVERY student in our district - workforce ready, two-year, four-year college, or technical certifications. Students and families have choices, and we want Madison to be their FIRST CHOICE!

It is our goal to always provide as much information as possible. If you have questions, ASK US! If you have concerns REACH OUT - attend board meetings, contact our teachers or administrators, visit our schools, check out our website at www.madison.k12.in.us