South Madison presents K‑12 Career and Technical Education plan; district expands pathways and partnerships

Mr. Kreuer explained the district's Career and Technical Education (CTE) strategy, stressing that South Madison treats CTE as a K‑12 effort rather than a high‑school only program. "CTE stands for Career and Technical Education," he said, and described how counselors use Indiana Career Explorer and RIASEC rooms at the East Central Education Service Center to introduce career concepts at the elementary and middle school levels.

Kreuer said each elementary hosts career fairs and that middle‑school students take electives that can earn two high‑school credits in ninth grade (for preparing for college and careers and computing foundations). He said the high school offers nine local CTE pathways (agriculture, civil construction/engineering, welding/engineering, accounting, business administration, early childhood education and culinary arts among others) and students may also access 13 additional pathways at Anderson Career Center (D26).

The district is increasing alignment so that courses taken at the high school sequence into "pathways" (three classes that form a CTE pathway) and can count toward graduation requirements when completed. Kreuer told the board that greater enrollment in CTE courses increases the district's share of state CTE grant funding; he said partnerships with Anderson Career Center bill the district roughly $3,800 per participating student for students who travel to the center for half the school day.

He described hands‑on, work‑based learning opportunities — culinary students operating a catering group, construction students working on community projects and civil construction students using heavy machinery — and said staff plan ongoing work to keep courses engaging and expand community partnerships.

Ending: Board members praised the work; committee reports that followed referenced increased student access to equipment training and off‑site hands‑on opportunities.