Harrisonburg board hears CTE redesign plan, adopts multiple policy changes on first reading; honors farm-to-school week and marching band

Harrisonburg City School Board members on Oct. 7 reviewed a plan to redesign the district’s career and technical education (CTE) offerings after the division announced it will leave the joint MTC program in 2027, recognized school nutrition’s farm-to-school activities and the Rock City Regiment marching band, and approved a slate of policy revisions on first reading.

The board’s most consequential policy discussion centered on the CTE redesign and the advisory committee the division convened to recommend new program areas and partnerships. Superintendent Dr. Richards said the advisory group — composed of local employers, higher-education representatives, parents and educators — has met four times and will present its formal recommendations on Oct. 21. "We have determined that we'll keep an advisory board together, in perpetuity," Richards said, citing labor-market analysis and student-survey results used to identify six initial program areas.

Why it matters: HCPS’s decision to leave the regional Massanutten Technical Center (MTC) arrangement will require new local partnerships and course delivery models; Richards described the redesign as a hybrid model that relies on community and regional partners rather than a single campus. The board scheduled a public work session on Oct. 21 at Bluestone Elementary School where advisory committee members will present the recommendations.

The meeting also included routine recognition items. Heather Yudsey, the division’s director of school nutrition, described Farm to School Week activities and invited the board to participate in the statewide Virginia "Crunch" event on Oct. 9, noting the division is prioritizing locally sourced produce. Yudsey identified Showalter’s Orchard in Timberville as one local supplier and…