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Peninsula School District outlines CTE growth, SchoolLinks rollout and Aviation Academy launch plans
Summary
District CTE director Kelsey Park told the board that CTE completers graduate at higher rates, highlighted program-area achievements and announced a March 1 lottery and Green River College articulation for the new Aviation Academy.
Kelsey Park, director of Career and Technical Education for Peninsula School District, told the school board Tuesday that students who complete CTE sequences graduate at higher rates and that the district is expanding pathways and certifications.
Park said 54% of district graduates are CTE completers and that CTE completers had a 95% graduation rate in 2023. “When a student completes two credits in a CTE sequence they are considered a CTE completer,” Park said, adding that the district uses those completer data to measure outcomes.
The report outlined six program areas—agriculture; business and marketing; family and consumer sciences (including health); health sciences; skilled and technical sciences; and STEM/aviation—and listed credit equivalencies, industry credentials and dual-credit opportunities tied to each area. Park said the district has secured $208,000 in grant funding for CTE this year and that students have earned certifications so far this year worth between $20 and $500 each, saving families more than $5,000 in potential out‑of‑pocket costs.
Park described recent partnerships and program details: CopeHealth Scholars runs at MultiCare/Tacoma General with clinical rotations and certificates; the district secured a partnership with the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) for sports medicine personal‑trainer certification; and the district won a $50,000 grant to create a makerspace at Henderson Bay for family and consumer sciences programming.
Ashley Stohan, who presented updates on the Aviation Academy, said the district has submitted frameworks to the state and reached an articulation agreement with Green River College. “A student who completes two years in the Aviation Academy will earn 60 college credits,” Stohan said. She added the student lottery opens March 1 and the program will accept 32 students this first year.
Park and board members discussed SchoolLinks, the state‑approved High School and Beyond planning platform that the district plans to roll out in 2025. Park said registration begins Feb. 10 for current eighth through 11th graders and families will have guardian access. “High School Beyond Planning requires students to have a four‑year plan, a resume and a record of extracurriculars tied to their post‑secondary plans,” Park said.
Directors and speakers pressed for more hands‑on trade facilities. Board member comments and public discussion raised the limits of virtual welding simulators versus in‑person training; Park said the district uses VR to provide safe practice and partners with West Sound Tech and Bates for certification routes while exploring future in‑district facilities.
Park summarized the district’s middle‑to‑high‑school pipeline: middle school pre‑pathway exposure begins in seventh and eighth grade, and many middle schools offer STEM rotations in sixth grade. She said the district is tracking labor market data and student interests through SchoolLinks to inform future program investments.
Board members thanked staff and advisers for growing CTE and for pursuing grant funding. Park closed by noting that CTE is “about career readiness” and about “removing barriers so students can access programs that meet their future college and career goals.”
