BY PAT FARNELLI
The Susquehanna County Career and Technology Center approved a $4,874,503 budget for which revenues greatly exceeded expenditures Thursday.
“This is an unbalanced budget, because what we are taking in far exceeds the costs of running the career center’s programs,” said SuperintendentWilliam Bush.
The career center is currently taking in $418,218 more than total expenditures, Bush said.
The new Licensed Practical Nurse program has 40 students enrolled at $12,500, tuition per adult learner.
Four clinical supervisor positions were approved at a rate of $36 per hour, which is already included in the final budget.
A new massage therapy program was brought up for board approval at Thursday’s meeting, but several board members had reservations and said they needed more time before voting to approve this field of study.
Board member Eric Emmerich said, “I have problems talking about this, but how do you guard against the potential of allegations against a student giving a massage, touching other people’s bodies?”
Board president Anne Teel responded, “I think they are talking about therapeutic message, working on a specific issue.”
Board member Matt Curley said, “There’s got to be different parameters here: our cosmetology program is open to the public, so someone can come in and get their hair cut and colored…teaching massage techniques is one thing, but being open for services is another. If any portion of anticipated revenue is for massages being sold to the public, I would want to know a lot more about it before making a decision.”
“We need a lot more information and discussion,” Emmerich said.
No action was taken.
The massage therapy proposed program has 15 students already enrolled, and will generate $75,000 in tuition with that number of adult pupils with one instructor.
The next meeting of the SCCTC board will be held on July 18 at 7 p.m.
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