District reviews barber and cosmetology contracts after low program completion and licensing pass rates

District staff reviewed the barber and cosmetology career programs, presenting enrollment, program costs, kit policies and multi‑year completion data that show low licensure pass rates for barbering and modest pass rates for cosmetology.

Dr. Bridal, introduced as director of career programs, said the barber program contract for the 2024–25 year caps enrollment at 25 students and that projected costs for 2025–26 would increase if junior‑year cohorts advance and seats are filled. The presentation listed program costs such as $5,600 per student per year and a $1,400 nonrefundable kit charge for first‑year students; staff said the district currently does not recover kit costs if a student drops the program.

On program outcomes, staff presented a seven‑year lookback: for barbering, 50 students had enrolled, 11 completed the required 1,500 hours, six registered for the state exam and five passed; for cosmetology, 52 enrolled, 21 completed hours, 20 registered for the state exam and 17 passed, which the presenter calculated as about a 32.7% success rate over the period. “If you average that cost out at $150,000 between two programs,” the presenter said in contextualizing expenses over time.

Board members and staff discussed causes of low barber pass rates. Dr. Bridal emphasized academic readiness and reading skills, noting that early semesters include significant textbook and testing work and that some students struggle with the reading and inference required. Board members suggested adding reading supports and “guardrails” to boost completion and licensure success. Staff proposed screening applicants for reading comprehension and instituting minimum progress checkpoints (for example, target hours after nine weeks) that could trigger contract adjustments and refunds if minimums are not met.

The presenter described recruitment and vendor responsibilities: under prior contract language (minimum of 25), buildings and counselors filled seats aggressively; the new language “up to 25” means replacements are not automatically assigned when students drop. Staff said they will work with vendors to make recruitment a collaborative responsibility and to add early‑warning and refund language to contracts.

Staff also discussed scheduling and program design to avoid conflicts with extracurriculars, such as piloting morning and afternoon sessions, and noted the district is exploring regional alternatives (for example, Triton and Chatham) that may present cost savings and different models of instruction and kits.

Staff said they will bring revised contract language and proposals for added student supports to the board in May or June for further consideration.