Hermiston SD 8 officials outline growth, funding and challenges in CTE programs

Hermiston School District 8’s career and technical education (CTE) staff told the school board their programs have expanded enrollment, added pathways and relied on a mix of state grants and private support to buy equipment — while warning continued community partnerships and funding are essential to sustain growth.

The district’s CTE coordinator (name not provided in the meeting transcript) told the board that CTE in Hermiston is designed as a 9-through-14 pathway — meaning high‑school work is aligned with community college options — and emphasized hands‑on, work‑relevant learning and statewide program standards under the federal Carl Perkins program. “The key to the answer is our staff,” the coordinator said, pointing to teacher experience and industry background as the main reason Hermiston’s CTE programs succeed.

Why it matters: CTE programs feed local workforce pipelines and are linked in Hermiston to higher graduation rates for participants. Board members and community speakers credited the programs with stronger student engagement and said they improve postsecondary and employment readiness.

Program size and staffing: Presenters said the CTE department at Hermiston High School has 24 staff members and described average experience levels of about 12 years teaching and 10 years of industry experience among the CTE staff. The coordinator said the district has increased program enrollment and staffing over the last decade to match demand.

Funding and major projects: Staff described multiple funding streams. They identified the federal Perkins grant (Perkins V) as a recurring source — “about $60,000 of our budget,” the coordinator said — plus a state CTE career‑pathway grant (amount described in the meeting as “somewhere between 2,045,000” but not specified in clear dollars), a CTE revitalization award that funded a home‑building project ($380,000 cited for the home‑builder project), and a larger “high school success” grant that the speaker described as “1 point something” million dollars (figure not precisely stated in the record). Private partners and foundations named as supporters included the Ford Family Foundation, the Hermiston Education Foundation, AWS (for the “Think Big” space), and local businesses.

Student outcomes and credentials: Presenters said programs are renewed every four years to meet Perkins‑driven standards (access/equity, standards and content, alignment/articulation, student supports, accountability, and professional development). The district aligns many pathways with regional community colleges (the coordinator cited efforts to align with BMCC where possible) and said CTE pathways can lead to industry credentials or college credit. The coordinator said students in CTE who complete at least two credits see a higher graduation rate — cited at “92% or above” — and that the district tracks program completions (programs earned rose from 88 ten years ago to about 190 in the most recent year, per the presentation).

Work‑based learning, CTSOs and recognition: The district reported that every program now includes some work‑based learning opportunity (practicums, internships, cooperative work experience, school‑based enterprises and workplace simulations). Current Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs) such as FFA and FBLA remain a program requirement when appropriate; the district also added an option — an individual leadership project with an industry mentor and presentation — for students unable to participate in CTSOs.

Facilities, equipment and maintenance: Speakers stressed the cost of maintaining up‑to‑date, industry‑level equipment. The coordinator noted that while capital investments are possible with grants and private support, the district must also pay to update and maintain equipment and sometimes cannot replicate specialized facilities (for example, duplicating welding or construction labs), which affects program scalability.

Partnerships and local engagement: Presenters described extensive local industry partnerships — health systems (Good Shepherd, Pendleton Hospital, Family Health), trades groups (Eastern Oregon Home Builders Association), businesses (Chartwells referenced), AWS, and volunteer industry mentors — that supply work placements, mentors and classroom support. The coordinator said teachers and advisory committees maintain many of those connections and that community members commonly volunteer to coach, mentor or provide workplace experiences.

Next steps and program growth: Staff listed near‑term priorities including starting phase two of the student‑built home project, expanding alignment with new career clusters, launching a pre‑apprenticeship program (including heavy‑equipment simulators), continuing middle‑school alignment and electives, and expanding internships and practicum opportunities. JROTC had its first day of formal instruction the morning of the meeting, and the district plans to pursue CTE funding and program recognition tied to JROTC options.

Board and public response: Board members praised teachers and the community for sustaining programs through past financial pressures and credited local fundraising and staff decisions for preserving CTE during statewide budget shortfalls. Roy Perrone, speaking for the Hermiston Association of Teachers, thanked the board and noted teachers’ role in sustaining CTE. The school board and superintendent (Dr. Mooney) also commended staff and community partners.

Limits of the record: Several dollar amounts and some counts were reported imprecisely in the meeting (for example, the state grant amount the coordinator described as “somewhere between 2,045,000,” and the high‑school success grant described as “1 point something” million). Where the transcript gave unclear figures, the speaker’s phrasing is reported rather than a precise conversion or restatement.

The presentation concluded with the board and the public praising the program’s staff, partnerships and student outcomes and directing continued emphasis on outreach, equipment maintenance and expanding work‑based learning opportunities.