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healthcare training to industrial and business education to programs that will support local manufacturers. A path to a practical nursing degree will be a priority, he added, because SCTI in Sarasota can accept only about one in three students who apply for the program on that campus. When board member Brown asked why so few are accepted, he explained that the Florida Board of Nursing regulates the number of stu- dents, based on demand from area hospitals. Because the South County SCTI will enable the district to work with more hospitals as partners, Bowden said, more students will be allowed to enroll in the program on the North Port campus. He also will work with staff at Charlotte County's technical institute, he continued, to learn about excess demand it has for career paths, so the North Port SCTI can provide the appropriate programs. Goodwin pointed out that because the cam- pus will be a satellite of the main facility in Sarasota, it will not have to wait three years to gain accreditation. "It will be accredited from Day 1," Bowden concurred, enabling students to seek federal Pell grants. At the end of the discussion, Zucker, a long- time School Board member, said, "We've come a long way from the time when I fought to get a high school for North Port. … This is fantastic. It's just like the culmination of a dream." "Technical education is so important to our students," Goodwin added. % Share stories by clicking the icon in the menubar and choosing to share via e-mail, post to Facebook or Twitter, or many other sharing options. QUICK TIP For the best viewing experience on a computer click the icon in the menubar to zoom to fullscreen mode. QUICK TIP Sarasota News Leader June 20, 2014 Page 51