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Lewiston Regional Tech students approved to compete at SkillsUSA nationals; committee OKs trip amid $30,000 fundraising plan
Summary
The school committee approved a trip for 13 Lewiston Regional Technical Center (LRTC) students to attend the SkillsUSA national conference in Atlanta. LRTC staff described competition successes, a roughly $2,300 per-student cost and a $30,000 trip total, and outlined fundraising plans.
Lewiston Public Schools on April 7 approved a request for 13 Lewiston Regional Technical Center students to travel to the SkillsUSA national conference in Atlanta, with staff and advisers describing recent state-level success and a fundraising plan to cover about $30,000 in estimated costs.
Assistant Director Matt West said the delegation includes 13 students — nine of them in first-year LRTC programs and four returning competitors — who won at the state level and qualified for nationals. "We have 5 students up here who represent SkillsUSA" West said as the committee honored the students and their advisers. "Our cost per student is about $2,300 per student... So our trip total is looking at about $30,000 for the 13 students."
The committee voted unanimously to approve the trip. Members praised the students and advisers during the presentation, which included a short video and a detailed spreadsheet of competition results shown to the committee.
Nut graf: The approved travel covers June 23–28 competition dates and is the culmination of an academic-year-long SkillsUSA program; LRTC staff urged the committee to allow the group to fundraise to cover registration, lodging and travel costs that the district cannot absorb.
In the presentation, West described the breadth of the program and the work required to advance through local and state competitions. He noted the delegation will compete against top teams nationally and emphasized the program's nontechnical benefits: "He now can ... speak to everybody across the country," West said of one returning student who gained confidence after earlier national experience.
Advisers Paul Kennedy and Jess Dewan were among those recognized by the district for their work shepherding students through local, state and national competition schedules. Student competitors named in the presentation included Indica Parker (networking), Huda Aden (state officer), Heather Musau (EMT), Sadie Kelsey (cosmetology) and Jenna Karen (job skills demonstration A, cosmetology).
School staff outlined fundraising efforts already under way: concert raffle tickets, a bottle drive, a car show planned for July, and local restaurant partnerships that helped raise thousands in prior years. West said the delegation’s fundraising strategy also includes asking advisory board members, family and friends for donations. He estimated the per-student cost covers registrations, hotels and related travel expenses.
Ending: With the committee's approval, LRTC will proceed with final travel logistics while continuing fundraising. Staff said they would post trip details publicly and follow usual district procedures for student travel and chaperone assignments.
