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District unveils Career and Technical Education review, recommends biomedical expansion and standalone Perkins funding
Summary
Webster Groves staff presented a program evaluation of CTE offerings, recommending expanded biomedical pathways, stronger industry-recognized credentials, annual review, and pursuit of standalone Perkins funding currently managed via a Bayless consortium.
Doctor Adams presented the district’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program evaluation, summarizing a multi-day review that included teachers, administrators, parents, site visits to neighboring districts and a meeting with a DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) CTE representative.
Key findings and recommendations included: expand CTE offerings and access in biomedical fields; strengthen industry-recognized certifications (IRCs) so students may graduate with credentials usable in the workforce; increase vertical alignment between middle and high school; pursue a standalone Perkins grant allocation rather than continuing a consortium arrangement with Bayless; research sustainable funding strategies; and pilot student-run applied programs, such as a high-school IT help desk and a student-run catering project.
Adams said the district currently participates in a Perkins consortium with Bayless, where Bayless administers the Perkins funds and receives a portion of the allocation. “We'd like to be standalone on our own so that we can retain those funds,” the presenter said, noting that becoming a standalone Perkins district requires meeting additional criteria and would be a multi-year process.
The board’s conversation covered facility upgrades already planned for summer (kitchens and labs), staffing and budget limits that could require some course trade-offs, and existing partnerships such as South County Tech and the Chelsea Center for programs the district does not offer in-house.
Why it matters: Expanding biomedical pathways and IRCs can improve students’ postsecondary and career readiness and affect long-term workforce pipelines. Turning Perkins administration inward could increase local control of federal CTE dollars but requires meeting state criteria and multiyear planning.
Next steps in the transcript: map a timeline for prioritizing recommendations, begin facility upgrades this summer, research biomedical and IRC options, develop action plans for student-run culinary and IT programs, and pursue independent Perkins funding over the coming years.
