New teacher, new programs?

By Janice Kurbjun
Times staff writer

A new hire at Saratoga Middle High School could mean an overhaul of the industrial arts program by August.

The Carbon County District 2 School Board recently approved a contract for Scott Bokelman, who taught industrial technology for 24 years in Nebraska and Texas.

Currently, the program focuses on woodworking and drafting, but Saratoga Principal Larry Uhling hopes to expand into electronics, manufacturing and other technical areas. The new program would be called industrial technology.

Uhling, who has a technical background, has an idea of how he wants to see the program develop.

“I want to bring in a new perspective,” he said. “We should keep education exciting and deal with things that are happening now. Not that we don’t still have jobs that require pounding nails or turning spindles on a wood lathe, but jobs are changing in the 21st century, and we need a career program that is alive and viable.”

With the help of Bokelman and Dave Urasky, vocational educator at the Carbon County Higher Education Center, the program should take shape this summer. First, Uhling has to wait for the school year to finish and for Bokelman to finish his contract in Nebraska.

Uhling hopes the partnership with Urasky will help avoid pitfalls as the program unfolds. The two schools should also be able to work together to provide unique programs.

Uhling mentioned the possibility of introducing solid modeling at Saratoga, but executing the designs remotely, using CCHEC’s computerized lathe.

“There is a lot of work to be done,” Uhling said.