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CTE expansion and DoDEA grants highlighted as career academies grow at OTHS
Summary
CTE director described growth in CTE course sections, industry certifications and use of DoDEA grants to develop career academies and partnerships with industry.
The O'Fallon Township High School District 203 CTE department reported enrollment gains, new industry certifications and work funded by Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) grants as part of a multi-year effort to develop career academies.
CTE presenter Julie Kunz said the department now employs 14 full‑time CTE instructors and offers 40 courses across business, family and consumer sciences, and industrial technology. The department reported a 20% section increase over five years and a 51% increase over ten years; its largest growth areas include Advanced Video Production, Culinary Careers, Video Production and Welding Technology.
Kunz described the district's use of a DoDEA grant awarded in 2021 to create career pathways and CTE academies. The program has supported development of dual-credit courses, industry-recognized certifications and teacher professional development. Since the DoDEA grant began, the district has certified 332 students with a about a 90% pass rate in those certifications; the department expected an additional 100–150 certifications by the end of the school year.
Kunz said partnerships with local industry provide site visits, guest presentations and potential hiring pathways; the DoDEA-funded work also included Mandarin course support, AP supports, restorative-practices training and social-emotional-learning team work under related grants. The CTE presentation noted the district aims to have layered career academies in place next year and to align offerings with Illinois' PACE framework cited in the presentation as "HB 32 96," which the presenter described as the pathway endorsement statute requiring specified coursework, dual credit and career exploration.
The board received the CTE update as part of administrative reports; no new CTE-specific contracts or budget votes were recorded in the presentation segment.
