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Region 9 director briefs RSU 10 board on CTE programs, funding and building occupancy issue
Summary
Brenda Gammon, director of Region 9, outlined 15 career and technical education programs, certification and college credit opportunities, grant fundraising success, and a continuing occupancy problem: a new Region 9 welding building cannot be occupied because local hydrant flow is insufficient.
Brenda Gammon, director of Region 9, gave trustees an overview of Region 9’s career and technical education programs, funding sources and a continuing facility occupancy issue during RSU 10’s Oct. 21 meeting.
Gammon said Region 9 currently operates 15 programs for high school students, including automotive, building construction, certified nursing assistant, culinary (chef training and a new baking/pastry program), early childhood, heavy equipment, machining and welding, commercial truck driving, and several others. She emphasized program certification as a priority; students can leave with credentials such as OSHA, AWS welding certification, ServSafe, CNA board eligibility and, in some programs, college credits.
Gammon said Region 9 is funded through state EPS allocations, local partner contributions and grant awards; she reported securing nearly $10 million in grant funding over her tenure. She explained that program budgets and staffing rely on student enrollment numbers that are often uncertain until late in the school year, which complicates multi‑year budgeting and staffing forecasts.
On facilities, Gammon told the board that a new welding building remains unoccupied because available hydrant flow at the nearby Wey Butler/Hammond Lumber location is insufficient for occupancy approval. ‘‘We had all the building permits,’’ Gammon said, but the water flow now does not meet the required standard and the new welding building ‘‘sits empty.’’ She said Region 9 is working to resolve the issue with local partners and would keep sending updates to member districts.
Gammon invited board members to tour Region 9 facilities and emphasized that transportation and interschool arrangements allow students across several towns to attend programs not available at their local tech centers. Several trustees asked about Region 9’s budget formation process and timing; Gammon described an annual timeline that begins with staff requests, a finance committee review and a public budget hearing, with EPS state funding estimates determining final allocations.
Board members thanked Gammon for the presentation and were invited to visit Region 9’s programs and shops when student work is in session.
