Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Career Technical Education topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board pushes support for Forbes Road Career Technical Center; raises issue of lunch payments for Gateway students
Summary
Board members urged financial and facility support for Forbes Road Career Technical Center amid growing enrollment and deferred maintenance; members also flagged that students who attend Forbes may be charged for lunch separately from Gateway School District meal funding.
Board members highlighted the Forbes Road Career Technical Center’s growth and facility needs and approved the center’s proposed operating and administrative budgets for 2025–26 as part of district resolutions.
"Currently, the building is getting a little haggard; it needs some roof work and other things done," a board member said, urging foundations or grants to support the center. Board members described enrollment growth from "around 600 kids" when the speaker first became familiar with the program to "over a thousand at this point," and said the district wants to ensure technical programs — automotive, plumbing and electrical trades — have adequate facilities and support.
The board approved the Forbes Road Career and Training Center 2025–26 proposed budgets during the administrative resolutions section of the meeting (agenda item 8.5). Members noted the bond program addresses a narrow set of capital needs — electrical panels installed years ago — and emphasized that ongoing deferred maintenance remains a priority.
Separately, board members raised a concern about student meal payments for Gateway students who attend classes at Forbes. A board member asked why students described as Gateway students must pay for lunch at Forbes even though the students' nutrition funding flows to Gateway. District staff said Forbes is working to resolve the billing and funding arrangement but that the payment structure is governed by the funding rules and external program requirements. "They're aware of that, and they've been trying to work through that," staff said. The board requested follow-up conversations with Forbes to explore whether Gateway could offset or transfer meal funds to cover lunches for students who attend classes at the center.
Board members also praised recent events at Forbes: a packed auditorium for the Forbes Road Career Technical Center graduation and career-day activities that showcased student outcomes. The board encouraged community outreach for facility donations and grant assistance to address deferred maintenance and program support.
