Career Academy Board Discusses Funding Options, Academy Construction Plan

Work is moving ahead on the Effingham Regional Career Academy.

The Academy is designed to assist high school students and adult learners in becoming more ready for the workforce. Plans are still in place to have a physical classroom facility in place for the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year.

The Academy is being undergirded by Lake Land College. College President Josh Bullock shared that an architect has been selected to oversee construction of the facility, which is to be located next to the Lake Land Kluthe Center in Effingham. The Academy Board Wednesday learned that retired Altamont High School Principal Jerry Tkachuk has been named director of the Kluthe Center, succeeding the retired Karen Kull. 

Funding was a chief topic on Wednesday. Committee member Christine Strohl of Lake Land said there are plans to seek a US Department of Defense grant that could provide at least $5 million over a four-year period. Strohl explained that there are businesses in the area that have defense contracts, and could make the project eligible for the grant funds. She said that STEM careers will be the focus of the grant program and STEM education. There is talk of a mobile STEM lab to take to participating school districts to show what's available and the education involved.

The Board also plans to approach the Effingham County Board and the local group known as the Community Support Group for funding with the project. The request from the County Board could be up to $330,000 in Federal ARPA funds.

A matter that had caused some confusion at an earlier meeting was explained Wednesday. The 14 area school districts that will benefit from ERCA had signed an intergovernmental agreement, but others with ERCA weren't aware of the agreement or what it contained. Also explained were updated committee purpose statements. ERCA Board Chairman Norma Lansing said those documents will be the working documents for ERCA. 

Board members also approved Effingham County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Lucinda Hart as Board Treasurer. There was also election of directors, including Autumn McCormick of HSHS St. Anthony's Memorial Hospital from health care, Kelly Roepke of Y Yard from transportation, Chad Thompson of North American Lighting from manufacturing, and Steve Mette of South Central FS from agriculture.

Appointments were approved of ex-officio board members Jamie Corda-Hadjoui from WIOA, Julie Wollerman from the Regional Office of Education, Laura Sullivan of EIEFES, Austin Cheney of Eastern Illinois University, Todd Hull of the City of Effingham, and Jim Niemann of the Effingham County Board.

Committee co-chairs were appointed as ERCA board members, including Beecher City School Superintendent Philip Lark and local entrepreneur Dan Woods from Operations, Teutopolis School Superintendent Matt Sturgeon and Lake Land's Jon Althaus from Programs and Curriculum under Althaus' retirement when Roepke will take the position, local businessman Matt Roedl and Tkachuk from Workforce Readiness, Christi Donsbach of Lake Land and Blake Pierce of Rural King from Funding, Charity Bohnhoff of Forefront Dermatology and Cheney from Marketing, and Strohl and Courtney Yockey of Effingham Regional Growth Alliance from Adult Learners.

Information was shared about an ERCA Exploration class to begin in Fall 2022. The course will begin at Patterson Technology. It will be a dual credit course with both high school credits and Lake Land College credits to be earned. It will be an Independent Study course.

Strohl reported that work on the Adult Learning component will begin with a meeting next week. 

The ERCA Board will next meet on May 18.