LEWISTOWN — The Mifflin County Academy of Science and Technology in Lewistown has been searching for a welding instructor for several months but hasn’t attracted any qualified candidates.

While school officials have creatively tried to fill the vacancy this year, the absence could affect the welding program going forward.

At this point, without hiring a welding instructor for the 2025-26 school year, students who had completed applications for the welding program during the recruitment process, met with guidance personnel. Ninth-grade students were given the option to select a second choice due to the fact that an instructor was not hired before the Feb. 28, 2025 application deadline.

School officials provided an update for the program at the Academy’s Operating Committee on Thursday night during its monthly meeting at the school, located at 700 Pitt St.

The Academy has hired welding instructors for each of the past two school years only to see them resign.

On May 11, 2023, the Operating Committee approved the hiring of Bridget Fausey as a welding instructor for the 2023-24 school year. On April 11, 2024, committee members approved her resignation.

On July 18, 2024, during a special voting meeting, members approved Ryan M. DeHaas as the welding instructor for the 2024-25 school year. DeHaas resigned effective Jan. 1, 2025, which was approved at the Dec. 12, 2024, meeting.

Academy Administrative Director Laura Hicks emailed her staff on March 4 and provided the following update:

“We are actively searching for a new welding instructor and encourage any potential candidates to apply. The position requires four years of full-time, wage-earning experience as a welder and must meet PDE requirements for Career and Technical Instructional Intern certification.”

Additionally, the email addressed the Academy’s plan for handling student placement for those entering and who are currently enrolled in the welding program.

Current seniors at the Academy will graduate in May as planned, Hicks said. To ensure they have access to certification opportunities, she will be working with local welding instructors to offer American Welding Society (AWS) certification before graduation.

Current juniors will return for the 2025-26 school year to complete the welding program.

Current sophomores were given several options for the 2025-26 school year:

• Opt-out of any Academy program and return to their home school;

• Remain in the welding program and continue with their education here. However, there are a limited number of students for this option;

• Transfer to a different program at the Academy.

Freshman applicants have been notified that the Academy won’t be accepting new applications for the welding program next year. Each student was allowed to select another program, if desired.

Hicks said Doug Stimely, a retired instructor and long-term substitute, has been “doing an exceptional job with the students and keeping the program going. He has been an enormous asset to me, this program and these students.”

Gordon McKee, a day-to-day substitute, has also stepped up to fill in for Stimely as needed. Previously, McKee substituted in the adult welding and secondary agriculture programs.

“Our goal is to use them both, in addition to (mechatronics instructor) Mr. (Tyler) Snyder and business representatives, to ensure that students get a well-rounded and robust education for the remainder of the 2024-25 school year and the 2025-26 year for those returning,” Hicks said. “Our goal is to ensure minimal disruption while maintaining high-quality education for our students.”

Hicks said during the committee meeting that individuals have applied for the vacancy; however, they have either not met the requirements for the position or their salary requirements were not inline with what the Academy was offering.

Parents also received communication in December about the status of the welding program.

Hicks said about 40 students would be affected by this decision. Operating Committee members stated they want to make certain the program doesn’t close in the long run.

Mark Baker, chairperson of the Operating Committee, believes the decision to close enrollment to ninth-grade students for the popular welding program. Academy officials made the decision when they did due to deadlines for scheduling with the Mifflin County School District and the Juniata County School District.

“I think it’s imperative if we do find a teacher next week, next month, two months from now that all those ninth-graders that were interested have the opportunity to take next year if we get someone in there, if that’s what they want to do,” Baker said.

Hicks said the Academy administration hopes that if a candidate is hired soon, students will be given the opportunity to fill open positions in the program.

Anyone interested in the welding instructor position should apply at www.theacademy.net.

Approvals for Act 93 contracts

The committee approved the following Administrative Compensation, or Act 93) plans, effective July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2030 for the administrative director, principal and supervisor of adult and post-secondary education, business manager and practical nursing coordinator.

Crosson to continue as acting principal

The committee also approved to continue the contract with Student Teacher Services for Mark Crosson as acting principal at the Academy through the 2025-26 school year. The contract, effective July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026, has a daily pay rate of $350 per day.

Field trips

The committee heard that Academy staff and students went on the following field trips recently:

Instructor Travis Gilmore chaperoned two Automotive students to the Pennsylvania Automobile Association Auto Competition in Hershey on Feb. 20;

Instructor Travis McCullough chaperoned students to the Pennsylvania Pro Start Competition in State College on Feb. 27;

Instructor Nicolette Cusate chaperoned nine agriculture students to the Agriculture Breakfast in Middleburg on March 7;

Three Early Childhood Education students traveled to the LUMINA Center in Lewistown for Toddler Story Hour on various dates in March;

Instructor Nicolette Cusate will chaperone agriculture students to the Penn State Snider Ag Arena in State College on March 22; and Cusate will chaperone four agriculture students to the State Legislative Leadership Conference in Hershey from March 23-25;

Instructor Nicolette Cusate will chaperone students to the State Officer School for FFA members at Cumberland Valley High School in Mechanicsburg on April 1;

Instructors Steve Hogle and Michele Waters will chaperone six students to SkillsUSA State Leadership Conference in Hershey from April 2-4;

Instructor Bryan Boyd will chaperone students to the Career and Technical Education Advocacy Day at the East Wing PA Capitol Building in Harrisburg on April 2;

Jillian Wright and Bryan Boyd will chaperone health professions students to Greenwood Village in Lewistown on April 4.

Maintenance update

The preventative asbestos abatement was completed in the auto collision area on March 1.

Next meeting

The Operating Committee will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 10.