Community Invited to Ribbon Cutting of BPS Kumor Career Center

The Bellevue Public Schools Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Jeff Rippe would like to invite the community to the grand opening, dedication, and open house for the Frank Kumor Career Center.  The open house will be held on October 10, 2024, from 4:30-6:30 pm, with the dedication ceremony starting at 5:00 pm. The Frank Kumor Career Center is located at 2812 Arboretum Drive in Bellevue.

The Frank Kumor Career Center is the home to four career programs and was constructed using funds from the 2016 Bellevue Public Schools bond initiative. Additional funds have been secured from the Department of Defense Education Activities (DoDEA), the Bellevue Public Schools Foundation, and other local business partners to support the career center programs. Mr. Frank Kumor was a trustee on the Bellevue Board of Education and Bellevue Public Schools Foundation. His commitment to our students, schools, and community was legendary, and his service to our community knew no bounds.

The BPS Automotive Maintenance Academy focuses on preparing students for careers in the automotive field and works closely with regional and national industries to encourage growth, relevancy, and training in preparation for real-world work environments. This full-year program provides students with the skills and knowledge necessary for entry-level positions in the automotive field through dual enrollment courses aligned with Metropolitan Community College (MCC).

The BPS CNA/Long-term Care Academy program focuses on preparing students for careers in health science and allows students to work closely with community health care providers to encourage growth, relevancy, and training in preparation for real-world work environments. This full-year program provides students with the skills, knowledge, and certification necessary for entry-level positions in healthcare settings through dual enrollment courses aligned with Metropolitan Community College (MCC). Initial funding for this program was provided by a $1.5 million dollar grant from DoDEA for the BPS Project Career Launch Program.

The BPS Education Career Academy allows students to explore a career in education while earning dual enrollment credits through Metro Community College (MCC) and Doane University. The program strives to prepare students for entry into educator preparation programs and provides participants with four college-level education courses at no cost and nearly 200 hours of internship experiences with a mentor teacher at one of the district’s elementary schools.

The BPS Aviation Academy program focuses on preparing students for careers in aviation-related industries and prepares students for the FAA Private Pilot Knowledge exam and FAA Part 107 Unmanned Aviation System (UAS) Remote Pilot Knowledge Test. The year-long program will allow students pursuing the certifications to have hands-on experiences related to the aircraft they may one day operate through state-of-the-art aircraft simulators and aerial drones integrated throughout the course.  Students in the program will utilize the state-of-the-art Redbird Aviation Simulator lab. Initial funding for this program was provided by a 2.0 million dollar grant from DoDEA for BPS Operation Taking Flight.