District leaders used the joint briefing to outline growth in career and technical education programs and asked the delegation for targeted support for local workforce pathways.

Burke said Palm Beach County is a national leader in ACE diplomas and reported more than 21,000 students attempted an industry certification exam last school year with roughly a 75 percent pass rate. He described partnerships with local employers — for example, White's Construction and Jupiter Medical Center — that anchor school CTE pathways and said the board will hold a Nov. 5 workshop on choice and career and technical education.

The district requested two special state appropriations: funding to support expansion at Westech (a former technical center reopened for adult and career programs) and additional support for Roosevelt Elementary’s turnaround work in Downtown West Palm Beach. Burke described Westech as a certified CDL testing site and said the district wants to expand workforce programs at that campus.

Transportation for countywide choice programs also surfaced: district leaders said Tri‑Rail provides a critical link for students attending countywide arts programs and that potential Tri‑Rail funding reductions would create program delivery challenges. "We rely on Tri Rail to transport students to Dreyfo [Dreyfo?] School of the Arts and Bach Middle School of the Arts because we have county wide choice programs," Burke said, urging legislators to preserve Tri‑Rail support.

Why it matters: CTE investments can yield immediate job placements and credentialing for students who do not pursue a four‑year degree. Delegation members said they would consider pilot proposals and potential appropriation requests, and district staff offered to track CTE participant outcomes to demonstrate return on investment.

Sources: Superintendent Michael Burke; board members; Representative Gervonta Edmonds; Board Member Marcia Andrews.