Part of the Warren County Career Center renovation will not be part of the career center’s programming.

A high-school level STEM lab is part of the project.

And, like the career center, its offerings will be open to all district high schoolers.

But, it is not technically a career center offering.

School board members had some questions about the district’s STEM activities at Monday’s Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology committee meeting.

Board member Arthur Stewart asked if the lab at the career center will be a pilot program, possibly leading to the creation of other such labs.

“Would there be a benefit… if we had another one of these?” committee chairman Joe Colosimo asked.

They were told the program was not intended as a pilot, but officials would look into it.

“If you were to have two, you would have more kids who would take advantage of that opportunity,” Superintendent Amy Stewart said. “Some kids, no matter what we do, don’t want to go” out of their home attendance area for programming.

The high-school level STEM lab is the next step in the district’s STEM program.

“This fits in with everything that we’re doing,” Amy Stewart said. “Everything that we’ve done with ed reform, this fits.”

The district started with STEM programming at the elementary level, then expanded to the middle level.

“We talked about getting it into the elementary level, moving it into the middle level,” board President Donna Zariczny said. “What we’re lacking is that continuation into the high school level. If you don’t have it, you’re going to stymie the growth of students.”

“We want to make sure our kids are getting a great opportunity,” Amy Stewart said. “This STEM program is going to be a big step in the right direction of where we want to go district-wide.”

Although Arthur Stewart made it clear he would vote in favor of the expenditures for the STEM lab at the career center, he wanted to be clear about the possibilities for students coming in from outside the central attendance area.

High school schedules are down from eight periods per day to seven — a change endorsed by the board after the administration asked for more instructional time. That change limits options for leaving school, especially for a program that administration is suggesting students could attend for one, two, or three periods in a day. Amy Stewart said “high-flyers” in the district, who might otherwise be interested in the program, might be hesitant to go for three credits if they are not weighted because of concerns about their class rank.

“We’re not talking about the Warren students,” Arthur Stewart said. “They can dip their toe in it for one period a day. They can be there all day long.”

“Where do we find the time, let alone the money, to transport the students for the program that you outlined?” he asked. “I’m thinking about the student coming up from Youngsville to do that.”

He somewhat jokingly suggested offering charter bus transportation with WiFi. “Why doesn’t the district buy Greyhound buses and throw internet on it, and have moving study halls?”

Amy Stewart did not address the type of buses, but said she expects to expand the bus runs by one per day and the possibility of offering WiFi on those school-day trips has been considered.

Arthur Stewart asked administration to bring some materials to the board. “We haven’t adopted anything yet,” he said. “If we want students to come, how will we sell it to them? What we would put in a pamphlet to a Youngsville student?”