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Auburn superintendent highlights strong music and career-technical programs
Summary
Auburn School District Superintendent Dr. Alan Spicciotti told listeners during a podcast interview that the district’s music programs and 25 career and technical education (CTE) pathways provide significant student opportunities, and emphasized local partnerships and pathways to postsecondary training.
Dr. Alan Spicciotti, superintendent of Auburn School District, said the district’s music and career-technical education programs remain "robust" and provide students clear pathways to college, apprenticeships and careers.
Spicciotti discussed the programs during the "That So Auburn" podcast hosted by Auburn Mayor Nancy Backus. He cited recent student achievements in solo and ensemble competitions and described CTE offerings, saying the district operates "25 CTE programs" across areas including construction, horticulture and metals, and that some students can earn credits and move into apprenticeship programs.
"Our vision is to prepare students for the future they choose," Spicciotti said. He described a two-year construction trades pathway that begins at a student's home high school and finishes at Auburn High School, where students can use welding booths and metal shops. He credited County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer with securing a grant that helped launch the pre-apprenticeship work and said the district is exploring connections with the Northwest Carpenters Institute and Green River College.
Spicciotti also noted music achievements: Auburn students earned superior ratings at recent state solo and ensemble events, and Auburn Symphony provides a Carnegie Hall–based concert for fourth graders (the performing arts center seats about 950 and the district brings roughly 1,300 fourth-graders in two shifts). He said those experiences often lead students to join band or orchestra the following year.
The superintendent framed both music and CTE as part of a broader push to offer diverse, performance-based learning opportunities. He asked the community to recognize those programs alongside athletic achievements and said the Auburn Public Schools Foundation and local businesses help fund trips and special projects that the district cannot cover in its operating budget.
Spicciotti and Mayor Backus also discussed pathways to postsecondary education through Green River College and the Cities and Schools forum, a cooperative meeting with nearby cities and the college to coordinate workforce development.
He asked the community to spread awareness of district programs and opportunities so families and employers better understand the skills students are gaining.
