PORT ANGELES — The Port Angeles School Board will be asked to take its cosmetology courses in-house when it meets later this week.
An administrative report released Monday afternoon urges the board, which meets at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Central Services Building, 216 E. Fourth St., reorganize the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center cosmetology programs at the skills center.
“As part of the reorganization of the cosmetology programs, we propose to terminate the current contracts with The Hair School and Belle Academy of Hair and Nails, effective Jan. 24, 2014,” the report said.
The program would include cosmetology, barbering, nail art and piercing through a new cosmetology program at the skills center at Eighth and A streets in Port Angeles.
The skills center, administered by the Port Angeles School District, oversees job training programs for all North Olympic Peninsula school districts.
A contract with Northwest Hair Academy in Port Hadlock to train students in East Jefferson County would not be affected by the current proposal.
Students of The Hair School, 2941 E. Highway 101 in the Mount Pleasant area, and their parents and supporters came before the School Board last month and expressed concerns about the quality of equipment and beauty supplies, and what will happen to students who graduate from high school before completing the program.
The Hair School was notified that the district would terminate the contract and require students to transfer to Belle Academy, 1222 E. Front St., Port Angeles to complete their training.
The district said the change would make the program “more efficient, more economical and financially stable, and will provide for better quality control for our students.”
Program costs for students, earned hours toward licensing, the transfer of hours between programs, and staff and owner turnover with private cosmetology programs also were cited as reasons for ending the private contracts.
“We do not expect a significant interruption in the cosmetology program while we make this transition,” Monday’s report said.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arwyn.rice@peninsuladailynews.com.
