Katie Olsen, the district’s career pathways coordinator, told the School Board that interest and capacity in career‑pathway classes increased sharply this year and that the district is expanding industry partnerships, concurrent enrollment and work‑based learning opportunities.

“We are proud to share that all of these elements you see on the screen in front of you are things that we offer, at the secondary level,” Olsen said, summarizing the program’s mix of academics, industry credentials and workplace experiences.

Olsen presented outcome and enrollment figures: about 2,700 students took career‑pathway courses this year and the district projects roughly 5,400 course enrollments next year after a move to trimesters and added sections. She highlighted industry credentials and certifications earned during the year: 92 students earned first‑aid/CPR certification in tenth‑grade health classes; 16 students completed Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) certification this school year (with more cohorts underway); and multiple students completed OSHA‑10 and ServSafe courses tied to construction, trades and culinary programs.

Olsen described school‑based enterprises and new offerings in the high school building: a student‑run coffee shop (School Grounds) where students receive ServSafe and retail training and a Roar Store selling school spirit merchandise run by business students. The district also launched a “Test Drive” financial‑literacy simulation for the junior class with Royal Credit Union; Olsen said the entire junior class participated and volunteers reported students were highly engaged. Sample student feedback included: “I learned how much work goes into budgeting.”

Olsen said the district received a Grow Your Own grant from the Department of Education to pilot a teacher‑preparation pathway called Future Bear Educators, delivered through Minneapolis College. The initial cohort included 18 students; Olsen said 78 percent of the cohort identify as students of color. Students in that program complete concurrent enrollment coursework and field experiences with district elementary programs.

She outlined future course additions and expansions: drone‑pilot training (students can earn a remote pilot license), a computer hardware technology sequence tied to a campus tech hub, expanded certified nursing assistant sections and concurrent enrollment first aid/CPR classes with Anoka‑Ramsey and Century College partnerships. Olsen also said the district is tracking national career cluster updates from the Association for Career and Technical Education and aligns local programming with federal Perkins funding priorities.

High school principal Russ Reitz and Olsen fielded board questions about partnerships with regional career‑tech centers, employer engagement, course capacity and work‑based learning options. Olsen said district students still may attend regional providers (referred to in the meeting as 9 16 Career Tech Center) for programs the district does not offer and that the district also buses students to external centers when selected.

Olsen closed by noting an award for the district’s automotive program: the district’s automotive career pathway was selected as an exemplary secondary program by the Minnesota State Center/Transportation Center of Excellence, recognizing instructional leadership and program excellence.