Western Montgomery Career & Technology Center projects modest enrollment growth, seeks assistant principal in 2025-26 budget

David Levingood, administrative director of the Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center, presented the center—udget for the 2025-26 school year and highlighted program growth, new certifications and several recent grants.

Levingood told the Pottsgrove School District board that the center currently has 40 students on co-op placements, 11 students shadowing programs and about 309 applications overall for next year. "We have 40 students on co op and we have 6 more working on paperwork to go out. We have 11 students shadowing," Levingood said.

The presentation said the center—s most-applied-to program from Pottsgrove was cosmetology; Levingood listed intro to medical careers and welding as other top programs. He said the welding program is now an American Weld-certified program and that the automotive and diesel programs are a Northeast Training Center for Hunter Engineering, with more than $500,000 in equipment installed.

Levingood described several recent or awarded grants, including a competitive equipment grant of $85,000 to buy a robotic welder, $150,000 received previously from "Senator Pennycook" for automotive upgrades and $450,000 most recently for safety upgrades to add access control on doors.

"The big ask this year is for an assistant principal," Levingood said, framing the request around rising student and special-education enrollments and additional administrative duties after the departure of a technology director who had also performed assistant-principal tasks. He also recommended market-value adjustments for administrative salaries, based on a regional market study covering Montgomery, Chester, Delaware and Bucks County career and technical centers.

Levingood noted the center—s steady enrollment near 700 students but pointed to potential program growth: by making a small schedule shift the center could accommodate up to 48 students in the health program next year, an increase of roughly 24 students over current capacity.

He also highlighted program outcomes and community partnerships: a cosmetology enrollment surge from Pottsgrove (98 applications, 74 from eighth grade), a 95% pass rate on NOCTI exams in one program cohort, and partnerships allowing students to install LED lighting purchased through a PECO grant for a nominal cost.

Levingood closed with a reminder of employer and community engagement events, including a co-op banquet, and said the center plans to continue competing at state and national levels with student participation in upcoming competitions.

Board members praised the center—s work during public remarks following the presentation. No formal board action was taken on the Western Center presentation during the meeting.