FARMINGTON – A low absentee rate at a regional tech center shows enthusiasm, both among students and staff, the incoming director said.

Glenn Kapiloff, who will replace exiting director Ann DeRaspe Yorks at the Foster Regional Applied Technology Center, said in a presentation to SAD 9 directors on Tuesday night that the most positive trait of the tech center was the school climate and atmosphere.

It’s not just the staff who are excited about learning, it’s the students and the community, Kapiloff said.

The tech center, which adjoins Mount Blue High School, has around 600 students from five area high schools and offers classes in subjects like small engine repair, forestry, law enforcement and nursing.

Kapiloff, a longtime technology education teacher at the Mount Blue Middle School and a former Mount Blue High School wrestling coach, said he is excited to be on the tech center team.

Much of the program’s energy and popularity comes from students working closely with community members, whether it’s Firefighter 1 students working with a mentor from a local fire department or a carpentry class building a sign for the courthouse parking lot.

“Students really feel like they are a part of the community,” Kapiloff said.

The biggest challenge at the tech center is staff development when it comes to using technology for tracking students, he said. That’s because students come from different schools, each who use their own tracking system.

sdepoy@sunjournal.com

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