Radford board approves GoTech MOU to bring career-connection labs to middle school

The Radford City School Board on Nov. 11 approved a memorandum of understanding to join a GoTech Launch project that will add GoTech Career Connections labs for Dalton Intermediate seventh- and eighth-graders.

The agreement, which the board approved by voice vote, makes Radford City Public Schools one of five entities in GoVirginia Region 2 to receive resources from a GoVirginia grant administered by Montgomery County Public Schools, which will serve as fiscal agent and process reimbursements for equipment and supplies.

Ms. Mosby, who presented the plan, said the program will expose students to technical and engineering pathways including healthcare technologies, automation and robotics, IT/coding and networking, precision machining/metrology, manufacturing and mechanical engineering, welding, precision agriculture and energy. She said the package includes hands-on equipment — 3D printers, robots and welding simulation tools — and staff training. Mosby described an equipment funding breakdown presented to the board: roughly $88,000 in items from Amtech plus about $20,000 from RealWorks for health-care-related equipment; additional kit costs and logistics will be handled through the Montgomery County fiscal process.

"We are going to start rolling some of those classes in the spring semester," Mosby said, adding that much of the work has involved coordinating ordering and training for staff who will run the new labs.

Dr. Joyce and other administrators praised the program as a middle-school pipeline that will connect to high-school CTE offerings — allowing students to explore options earlier and make more informed course choices in ninth grade.

The board approved the MOU after a second and voice vote; administration said it will finalize purchase orders and reimbursement once grant paperwork is processed.

What happens next: The district will unbox and stage equipment in a teacher’s room, complete staff training, and phase student participation beginning next spring. Montgomery County Public Schools will act as fiscal agent for the GoVirginia grant and Radford will reimburse through that process.

Quotes: "We are bringing career engagement to Dalton Intermediate students, seventh and eighth graders," Mosby said, describing the program goals and expected timeline.

"This dovetails with what Miss Saunders talked about as far as identifying careers at a younger age," Dr. Joyce added.

Ending: The board’s approval commits Radford to the regional GoTech collaboration and to using grant-funded equipment to expand CTE exposure in middle school; administration will return with implementation details and procurement paperwork as the grant reimbursement process is completed.