The first graduating class of Pea Ridge Manufacturing and Business Academy walked across the stage Saturday along with fellow graduates from Pea Ridge High School. Of the 30 graduates from PRMBA, 26 completed the program, according to Charley Clark, director of PRMBA.
"Of those 26 young men and women, four are entering the military, 18 have been accepted into either college or technical school and 18 have jobs," Clark said, adding that one student is going to aeronatics school and one to an industrial school. He said 80 percent of the students have jobs directly related to their pathways and none have minimum wage jobs.
Several students graduated from the health pathway and are earning $10.50 an hour, a wage which will increase to $12.50 once they pass the state licensure test.
"A large amount of the students in the health care pathway want to be traveling nurses," Clark said. "Now, they've passed the first step and have a job that will help them pay for the next step."
"PRMBA allows for the learning to continue. When they've completed classes, then they go to work," Clark said.
" We are guiding our kids to where the market needs are."
"Our kids are getting hired when they go out there -- which is good.
"We want everyone to be the best possible version of themselves," he continued.
"I truly appreciate them. I appreciate their parents' support," Clark said of PRMBA students. "When we started this, it was leap of faith and trust... We appreciate the parents and the associates as well. They had faith and success... they excelled in the program and made it a program people want to be a part of."
Clark said there were students who were unsure at the beginning of the year, but by year's end, were the first to step forward to guide tours around the new conversion charter school.
"It was something really new," Judy Greene, manager, said. "I was on the ground floor. It's been exciting. I wanted to be in on something like that."
Greene, who had worked in management with Walmart, had been a custodian for three years before stepping into the position with PRMBA.
"I took that job (custodian) because that was what was available," she said. "I wanted to go to work for Pea Ridge Schools."
She said a very strong working relationship has developed among the staff and students at PRMBA.
"The kids fill a very significant part. They have leadership roles. They're not just students. I've seen students grow significantly. I've seen tears. I've seen anger turn into smiles and an 'I can do this' attitude."
"It's been an incredible ride," Greene said.
Community on 05/20/2015