Career and Technical Education (CTE) is a planned program of courses and learning experiences that begins with exploration of career options, and supports basic academic and life skills. Career and Technical Education instruction is delivered through programs at middle schools and high schools, through approved online courses, and at skill centers.
Funding for CTE programs in middle schools and high schools, like for general education programs, is based on a prototypical school formula that defines class sizes to determine certificated instructional staff allocations and per pupil amounts for materials, supplies, and operating costs (MSOC). For CTE programs, the assumed class size in state formulas is 23 full-time equivalent students per teacher, which is lower than the general education class sizes for grades six and above. Per-pupil amounts for CTE MSOC are defined in the budget and are slightly higher than those for general education.
To the extent that CTE funding allocations for instructional staff and MSOC exceed general education funding allocations, school districts may use the difference only for CTE purposes.
School districts may offer exploratory CTE courses to sixth grade students in middle school. Sixth graders enrolled in exploratory CTE programs may not be included in enrollment counts for the purposes of CTE allocations.
Middle school and high school CTE courses must be treated as a single program when accounting for and calculating minimum expenditures, carryover amounts, and recovery amounts. This treatment is exclusively for accounting purposes and must not result in disparate program quality across grade levels.
(In support) None.
(Opposed) None.
(Other) While the original bill allowed sixth graders in CTE to generate CTE funding, the current version does not. Given the funding crisis school districts face, there is a possibility that districts will stop offering CTE courses to sixth graders, who will be told they cannot take theater, photography, or computer science. Local enrichment funds are not available because they supplement deficits in basic education funding. The bill should ensure that sixth graders, and low-income students in particular, have access to CTE programs.
The Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction requested this legislation because access to dual credit can transform lives. Despite huge support for CTE, removing funding for students in sixth grade lessens the bill's immediate impact. However, the budget challenges are understandable. There will be requests in future years to fund CTE for sixth graders.
Nate Bloch, Student; and Misha Cherniske, Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).