Mooresville Redevelopment Commission OKs up to $150,000 for middle‑school career‑readiness modules

The Mooresville Town Redevelopment Commission on 2025-11-10 approved a motion to provide up to $150,000 to Mooresville Schools to purchase Paxton Patterson career‑readiness modules for middle‑school students.

Dr. Allen, speaking for Mooresville Schools, described the Paxton Patterson system as a modular, hands‑on program that exposes eighth‑grade students to trades and technical pathways. "So this is for information purposes only. ... Very much just for informational purposes, but the gist is just trying to get our kids literally hands on," Dr. Allen said, summarizing the classroom model and the district's plan to pilot roughly 20 of Paxton Patterson’s 34 modules.

The district told the commission the modules cover subjects such as welding, plumbing, HVAC, forensic science, cosmetology and drone operation, and that some pathways align to graduation requirements so students can earn high‑school credit. Dr. Allen said the district would target a 2026–27 start and that one trained teacher could facilitate the program, with summer training for instructors. The district estimated a one‑time cost between $125,000 and $150,000 for modules, furniture and supplies, and suggested a recurring replacement budget of about $10,000 per year for consumables.

Commission discussion noted that state funding reimburses districts for students enrolled in the class and that the commission is statutorily permitted to spend up to 15% annually with the schools; staff said the requested amount falls below that 15% threshold. A commissioner motioned to approve "giving up to $150,000 to the Mooresville Schools for the Paxton Patterson materials," the motion received a first and second and passed by voice vote.

The school indicated that assistant superintendent Holly Fry and middle‑school principal Micah Elliott would likely lead future, more detailed presentations and that legal counsel would coordinate any necessary agreements with the commission. Next steps identified in the meeting included finalizing the exact module list, confirming classroom space at the middle school, scheduling students for the pilot, and formalizing contract and procurement language through legal review.

Funding and implementation details not specified at the meeting included the exact breakdown of the $150,000 between modules versus furniture and supplies, and the name of the second who made the motion; those items were recorded in the meeting transcript as "not specified."