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Bay City ISD to add HVAC pathway with industry partner funding and apprenticeship pipeline
Summary
The district announced a new HVAC pathway at the high school in partnership with Hunt Services; the company will provide equipment funding and in‑service support as the program aims to move students into apprenticeships and industry certifications over several years.
Bay City Independent School District officials announced a new HVAC career-and-technical-education pathway at the high school, developed in partnership with Hunt Services and district staff. The program will add HVAC coursework next school year, provide industry certification opportunities and pursue an apprenticeship pathway for participating students.
District staff said Hunt Services will provide most of the equipment needed to operate the high‑school HVAC lab and will support the district’s instructor through periodic full-day visits and technical guidance. “They were very open to it... they are funding the majority of the equipment that it's gonna take for us to be able to provide that for our students,” a district presenter said.
The program will build on the construction pathway and on an instructor the district identified as HVAC‑experienced, referred to in the meeting as Mr. Rasmussen. The district described a multi-year pipeline: students begin in introductory construction classes, then may enter HVAC 1 and HVAC 2, progress to a specialist class, and ultimately complete a practicum or apprenticeship that could be coded as a CTE practicum for funding purposes.
Chris Harden, identified in the meeting as president of Hunt Services, spoke briefly about the partnership and said the company has worked with districts previously and will support classroom‑to‑employment transitions. Thomas Fay, described as a Hunt Services sales representative and consultant, also attended. The district noted that freshmen currently already hold numerous industry-based certifications (the presenter said 88 freshmen this year had at least one industry-based certification) and that the HVAC program will be selective at its start.
The district said the full HVAC credential in the industry requires additional hours/college credit beyond the high‑school program; the district does not claim students will exit high school as fully licensed HVAC technicians. Staff said the pathway will provide entry‑level certifications and apprenticeship hours that help students qualify for further licensing after graduation.
No board vote was recorded on the HVAC pathway during the presented report; the item was reported to the board as a program-development update and a community‑industry partnership.
