Oak Ridge Today

Roane State has job search boot camps in October

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Job seekers can get no-cost expert advice every Tuesday in October at Roane State Community College’s Clinton Higher Education and Workforce Training Facility.

A Job Search Boot Camp will be held from 3:30-5:30 p.m. on Oct. 1, Oct. 8, Oct. 15, Oct. 22, and Oct. 29 at the facility at 214 Nave St. Anyone is invited to stop by, complete a sample job application, go through a mock interview, have their resume reviewed, and get feedback and job search advice from Roane State career experts. [Read more…]

Former UT president named to Roane State Foundation board

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson

Former University of Tennessee President Joe Johnson has been named to the board of directors for the Roane State Community College Foundation.

“We are honored to welcome Dr. Johnson to our board,” said Paul Phillips, executive director of the Roane State Foundation. “Having a board member with his expertise and distinguished record in higher education will be a great benefit to the college.”

Johnson served as UT’s president from 1990-1999 and continues to serve as president emeritus. His tenure as president capped a lengthy career at UT that included alumni relations, public relations, fundraising, governmental relations, campus planning, capital construction, and serving as a liaison between the president’s office and intercollegiate athletics. [Read more…]

ORNL, UT receive Energy Department awards for nuclear training, technologies

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The U.S. Department of Energy on Friday announced more than $60 million in nuclear energy research awards and improvements to university research reactors and infrastructure, including about $1.5 million to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee.

The 91 awards are meant to help train and educate the next generation of leaders in America’s nuclear industry as well as support new and advanced nuclear technologies from reactor materials to innovative sensors and instruments to more efficient manufacturing, DOE said in a press release. [Read more…]

Pellissippi State receives $4.6 million federal grant

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

WASHINGTON, D.C.—U.S. Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez on Wednesday announced $474.5 million in grants to community colleges and universities around the country, including Pellissippi State Community College, for the development and expansion of innovative training programs in partnership with local employers, a press release said.

The 57 grants will support 190 projects in at least 183 schools in every state plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Pellissippi State’s grant is valued at about $4.6 million. Located near Oak Ridge in west Knox County, the community college is the leader of a consortium that received a total of roughly $12.7 million. [Read more…]

Historic preservation awards to be presented to bank, school Thursday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

CapitalMark Bank and Trust

CapitalMark Bank and Trust Oak Ridge President David Bradshaw is pictured at the original Hamilton National Bank vault. (Submitted photo)

A nonprofit organization will present this year’s historic preservation awards on Thursday, Oak Ridge’s birthday.

Two awards will be presented this year, one to CapitalMark Bank and Trust in Jackson Square and the other to the Oak Ridge School Administration Building, formerly the Pine Valley School.

The awards will be presented by the Oak Ridge Heritage and Preservation Association in back-to-back ceremonies Thursday afternoon. The first ceremony at Pine Valley School starts at 3 p.m., and the second at CapitalMark Bank and Trust at 3:45 p.m. [Read more…]

Council gives schools $250,000, school shutdown avoided

Posted at
By 21 Comments

Bruce Borchers and Mark Watson

During a special meeting Tuesday, Oak Ridge municipal officials agreed to give the city school system an extra $250,000 to avoid a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avert a possible Oct. 1 school shutdown. Pictured above are Oak Ridge Schools Superintendent Bruce Borchers, left, and City Manager Mark Watson, who recommended the extra funding on Tuesday. (File photo)

In a short special meeting Tuesday, the Oak Ridge City Council agreed to give the city’s schools $250,000 to allow the system to avoid a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avert a possible Oct. 1 shutdown.

The one-time transfer will come from higher-than-expected sales tax revenues in Roane County.

The vote was 4-1-1. Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan, Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller, and Council members Chuck Hope and Charlie Hensley voted in favor of the extra funding, which had been recommended by City Manager Mark Watson. [Read more…]

Council to consider $250,000 transfer to schools to avoid shutdown

Posted at
By 13 Comments

Oak Ridge City Council

The Oak Ridge City Council will meet in a special session Tuesday evening to consider a one-time $250,000 transfer to the city schools, which could avert a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avoid an Oct. 1 school shutdown.

The Oak Ridge City Council will meet in a special session Tuesday evening to consider a one-time $250,000 transfer to the city schools, which could avert a potential loss of millions of dollars in state funding and avoid an Oct. 1 school shutdown.

The special meeting starts at 5 p.m. Tuesday in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told Superintendent Bruce Borchers last week that Council had agreed to the special session to resolve the $250,000 shortfall but wanted documentation. Watson asked Borchers to respond by noon Monday. [Read more…]

Learn more about Roane State’s AMTEC job training this week

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Anyone interested in Roane State Community College’s nationally recognized Advanced Materials Training and Education Center—a no-cost, high-tech job training program for those who are unemployed or underemployed—is invited to meetings this week at the college’s Oak Ridge campus and Loudon County campus.

The meeting at the Oak Ridge campus will be held Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 6 p.m. in the back room inside Anderson’s Grille. The meeting at the Loudon County Campus will be held Thursday, Sept. 19, at 6 p.m. in Room 209. [Read more…]

See the local revenue numbers at center of school funding dispute

Posted at
By 12 Comments

Oak Ridge Schools Maintenance of Effort 2014

The maintenance of effort spreadsheet pictured above is used to determine whether local revenues for Oak Ridge Schools are the same from year to year. This spreadsheet, which includes some budget adjustments, shows a $250,000 shortfall. (Image courtesy Oak Ridge Schools/Karen Gagliano)

Note: This story was updated at 11:35 a.m.

It might be difficult to understand the concerns about Oak Ridge Schools’ funding and the state maintenance of effort test without seeing the local revenue numbers.

So, Oak Ridge Today has posted a copy of a maintenance of effort spreadsheet provided by Karen Gagliano, Oak Ridge Schools business and support services director. This spreadsheet includes budget adjustments that helped reduce the local revenue shortfall from the original $393,000 to a smaller $250,000.

Oak Ridge education officials have asked the city to cover that smaller shortfall to avoid a loss in state funding of $1.87 million per month and avert a school shutdown on Oct. 1. It’s the equivalent of a 2.5-cent property tax rate increase, although it’s too late for a tax increase this year. [Read more…]

Council agrees to special meeting on school shortfall but wants documentation

Posted at
By 5 Comments

Mark Watson

Mark Watson

The Oak Ridge City Council has agreed to meet in a special session next week to try to resolve a $250,000 school funding shortfall that education officials claim could lead to a loss of millions of dollars in state funding and a temporary school shutdown if it’s not resolved by Oct. 1.

But Council members want documentation to accompany the request, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson told Superintendent Bruce Borchers in a Sept. 11 letter. It should include an explanation of why the money is needed, information on decisions made by the Oak Ridge Board of Education to close schools on Oct. 1 if the funding is not obtained, and copies of any formal notice from the Tennessee education commissioner that he has agreed to withhold all of the state funding for Oak Ridge Schools starting in October, the city manager said. [Read more…]

UT Arboretum Society has two wildflower walks Saturday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

The University of Tennessee Arboretum Society has two wildflower walks on Saturday, one at 10 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m.

Due to the popularity of the walks in past years, the Arboretum Society will offer a morning walk with Kris Light and an afternoon walk with Charlie Samuels, a press release said. The walks are free and open to the public, but participants must call ahead to register for one of the walks. The phone number is (865) 483-3571. [Read more…]

Constitution Day lecture on immigration law at Roane State on Tuesday

Posted at
By Leave a Comment

Karla McKanders

Karla McKanders

University of Tennessee College of Law professor Karla McKanders will discuss immigration law on Constitution Day on Tuesday at Roane State Community College’s Oak Ridge Campus.

The lecture will be held from 1–2:30 p.m. in the City Room. The event is free, and the public is invited.

McKanders’ research focuses on civil rights, immigration and asylum law, and policy. She has explored the constitutionality of recent state and local laws targeting immigrants and the legal connections between past discriminatory laws and current anti-immigrant legislation. [Read more…]