BLOOMINGDALE — Jefferson County Joint Vocational School’s adult education program has been gaining momentum, and officials said having an array of courses is a factor.

Coordinator Jeff Copeland said 210 people have signed up for classes during the Autumn 2016 session, which runs until Thanksgiving. Classes are held between 5 and 9 p.m. and topics range from computers to trade and industrial, as well as special interests. JVS instructors or community members teach the classes, which have included Welding Technology Fundamentals, Basic Electricity, Chinese Fitness Shibashi, greeting card creations, and dance.

“Fall is always better than the winter session and we’re offering some free classes,” Copeland said. “We’ve added some new classes and always gain students with Microsoft Word, Computers for the Beginner, yoga, decorative painting, guitar, quilting, and small engine repair.”

Many of the classes have fees between $20 and $95, yet some are free but also require costs for supplies. Copeland researches potential class subjects and also accepts public input for ideas, but a minimum of seven people is required to hold a class. Registration for the winter/spring session, which runs from mid-January to April 1, starts after the new year. One new course starting at that time is Introduction to Painting and at least one more may be added to the curriculum.

Copeland noted that numbers are generally lower during the latter session because inclement weather caused school delays and cancellations. In the past, the evening class schedule was predicated on whether school was held that morning; however, there were times when the weather had cleared by afternoon and opportunities to hold sessions were missed. Such moves had resulted in the extension of courses until May, but a change was made to base future closures on late day and evening conditions in an effort to reduce lost time.

Meanwhile, another change is in the works to provide a condensed brochure on the JVS website at www.jeffjvs.org. A class listing is currently available under the adult education tab and anyone interested in receiving a brochure may also contact the school after 3 p.m. or visit the building. For more information, call 740-264-5545.