Western Montgomery Career & Technology Center presents budget proposal, seeks assistant principal and equipment grants

Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center officials presented the center’s budget outlook and program updates to the Spring-Ford Area School District Board of School Directors on Feb. 24, emphasizing steady enrollment, new equipment funded by grants, and a request to add an assistant principal to the staff.

The presentation matters because WMCTC serves students from multiple districts, and changes in its staffing and capital equipment will affect participating districts’ contributions and students’ access to career and technical education (CTE) programs.

Administrative director Mr. Livingood told the board WMCTC enrolls roughly 700 students overall and currently has 41 students on cooperative placements. He said the district’s share of the center’s budget for Spring-Ford is projected at $2,614,468 for next year, a decrease of about $57,002 (a 2.13% decline) from the prior year when calculated on the five-year average daily membership WMCTC uses to apportion costs among sending districts. He said the center’s enrollment has fluctuated but the five-year average smooths those changes.

Livingood outlined staffing and operating requests behind a roughly $100,000 increase in the center’s ask. The largest single personnel request is for a 10-month assistant principal position the center says would provide instructional and special-education continuity and cover administrative duties now shared by the administrative director and the building principal. Livingood said the center has added more than 200 students since 2020, replaced an IT director position with contracted services, and hired several teachers without prior classroom experience; the assistant principal position would help with curriculum, safety coordination and support for newer teachers.

On compensation, Livingood said the center conducted a market study. He said the center director’s current salary is shown in the materials as “1.54” and the market figure as “1.78” (as presented to the board); the presenter said those figures reflect the market study used to calculate an approximately $100,000 increase included in the budget request to align administration pay with regional competitors.

Livingood described recent and expected grant and outside funding: a state competitive equipment grant of $85,000 the center will use to buy a robotic welding arm; approximately $150,000 the center received for automotive program upgrades (used for cabinetry and a hybrid minivan); a $450,000 legislative earmark to put every door in the building on access control for safety and security upgrades; and proceeds from the center’s auction used to purchase a new school van. He also said Hunter Engineering contributed more than $500,000 of equipment to the automotive and diesel programs under a partnership in which the company retains ownership of the equipment but allows student access.

Livingood highlighted student achievements and program outcomes: 14 students were preparing to compete at the state SkillsUSA competition; the center’s pass rate on the industry-aligned NAUI/CTE exam was reported at 95 percent last year; and the center has an active SkillsUSA program and an American Welding Society chapter. He invited board members to a co-op banquet on April 9 to honor employers who hire WMCTC students.

Board members asked for clarification about how the assistant principal cost and the market-value adjustments are split among districts. Livingood confirmed the added position and market adjustments are reflected in the center’s overall budget and will be apportioned across participating districts according to the center’s established formula. A board member also asked whether some of the grant funds are recurring; Livingood said the $85,000 competitive equipment grant is an annual program the center applies to, while the legislative earmarks and some other awards are one-time funds.

In comments following the presentation, board members representing Spring-Ford said they strongly support WMCTC and the assistant principal request, noting that many CTE instructors do not come from traditional education backgrounds and additional certified administration would support special-education compliance and curriculum development.

No formal district action on the WMCTC budget was recorded during this portion of the meeting; Livingood said the Joint Operating Committee (JOC) vote on the center budget was scheduled for the Monday following the presentation (as part of the center’s governance process).