District staff told the committee that Chapter 74 (career and technical education) applications rose sharply this year and provided October 1 enrollment snapshots.

Emily Lehman, administrative director for college and career readiness, said total applications were up by 538 across Worcester Tech and comprehensive high schools. She reported that, for Worcester Tech, 211 students applied and 365 were accepted as of Oct. 1; comprehensives saw 1,062 applications (up 301) and 310 seats filled as of Oct. 1.

Committee members welcomed the growth but pressed for more analysis. Member Mailman asked why Worcester Tech is not filling all seats and moved to include a deeper enrollment analysis in the biannual vocational report. Members asked for demographic comparisons (low‑income, multilingual learners, students with disabilities) by school level and for a list of internships tied to CTE offerings.

The administration agreed to return with a fuller, year‑end report and to include the additional breakdowns and internship listings. The district also agreed to provide three years of Perkins grant figures when requested, to help the committee understand funding trends.

The committee did not change program approvals on Nov. 17; the meeting resulted in formal requests for follow‑up data to inform program expansion and equity analysis.