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Fairmont Area Schools offers welding to all

FAIRMONT — As part of an ongoing effort to give students the opportunity to gain valuable skills and experience, and have a positive effect on the community, Fairmont Area Schools will soon be offering a Saturday welding class.

The class will run from 8 a.m. to noon, beginning Jan. 21 at the high school.

“This is kind of a new thing for us, but I think it’s going to expand,” said Superintendent Joe Brown. “I think at one time there was a stereotype that you were either in the academic wing or the vocational wing. Now the vocational wing is much more technical than it has been and you have to be a really sharp student to be in either one.

“We have two types of students going to our school. On one hand, we have students that are very academically gifted, and they’re taking the upper level classes in math, science and English, as well as things like band, choir and orchestra. With a seven-period day, their schedules are so tight that they don’t have time to take a vocational class.

“On the flipside of that, we have students who may have failed a class such as ninth-grade physical science, algebra and biology. When they fail a class like that, they have to retake that the following year, and can easily lock themselves out of a vocational class. With this Saturday class, they can still have that opportunity, and it’s also a way for them to catch up on their elective credits so they can graduate on time with their class.

“In order to get a high school credit, you need to put in 60 hours,” he continued. “Our regular classes run for 68 hours, because we want students to be able to get that credit. We’re offering this class first of all to any of our students, but then we’re also offering it to any adults who are interested.”

For adults to take the class, the school is charging a fee of $250, which will help pay for the materials and the teachers’ time. Brown also said there are some area businesses that are willing to send employees as well.

“This is just the first of what I hope are many opportunities,” Brown said. “My ultimate goal eventually is to have other Saturday classes offered at our school. We know right now that there is a demand for welders [so] we thought welding would be a good place to start.”

In addition to the Saturday classes, Brown said planning is in the early stages to offer more courses for summer.

“We do plan welding, agriculture and construction trades classes in the summer,” he said. “Habitat for Humanity has also contacted us and is interested in having our students build a house for them here in Fairmont this summer.

“My goal is this: Right now, we use our schools 15 percent of the year. If we’re going to spend the money that we do on public education, we ought to make it available over and above just seven hours of the day. I’d like to utilize our facilities more than we currently use them, and we need to be more flexible.”

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