Friday, January 9, 2026 |
Photo – Saratoga Town Hall – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Saratoga has adopted a new internship program designed for high school students.
During Wednesday evening’s Saratoga Town Council meeting, Public Works Director Emery Penner announced a new paid internship program that will place local high school students in various town departments. Penner said the program is designed to give students meaningful, hands‑on experience in municipal government while supporting the town’s ongoing projects.
To legally allow high school students to work for the town, Penner said the governing body must adopt a resolution creating the Saratoga Interim Internship Program. Without the resolution in place, Penner said the interns would need to be treated like regular employees, requiring the town to provide benefits and retirement packages.
The public works director said under the terms of the Saratoga Interim Internship Program, students would be permitted to work for the town while they are enrolled in school.
Penner said the town will only accept a total of five interns each semester, with the students split between the various departments. The public works director said the goal of the program is to encourage more young people to work for the municipality.
Councilman Jerry Fluty asked about insurance coverage and workers’ compensation for the students. Penner said Town Attorney Kylie Waldrip is researching the issue and added that he believes the town’s Local Government Liability Pool, or LGLP, would cover the interns.
The Town Council expressed its approval of the program. To pass the resolution, Mayor Chuck Davis said it must be read aloud and directed Clerk Jennifer Anderson to do so.
Under the Saratoga Interim Internship Program, high school juniors and seniors, along with students enrolled in an accredited post‑secondary institution, are eligible to apply regardless of age. They may be assigned to public works, recreation, town hall, or the police department, but only in non‑enforcement roles. Additionally, the interns are treated as temporary employees of the town and will be compensated as such.
The Town Council unanimously voted to approve the Saratoga Interim Internship Program. Applications must be submitted through the school.
