CareerTech board approves $1.6 million in K-12 lottery grants and a separate tech-center grant pool

The Oklahoma CareerTech State Board approved two sets of lottery-funded awards at its November meeting: a K-12 lottery grant cycle totaling $1,596,551 and a smaller tech-center grant pool crafted to align with Oklahoma Employment Security Commission critical-occupation priorities.

Corey Gray, presenting the K-12 awards, said the agency shifted grants from an arrears calendar to the current fiscal year to allow immediate spending and that K-12 award maximums were increased from $15,000 to $20,000 "because of inflation, tariffs, things of that nature." Gray said the application cycle produced a record number of applicants (more than 328 across the state) and that the agency is issuing 87 grants totaling $1,596,551; approved schools will be eligible to spend beginning Dec. 1 and must have items received and invoiced to the agency by March 30.

A motion to approve the K-12 lottery grants was made, seconded and carried by roll call.

Gray then described a second tech-center lottery grant pool created from a remaining small balance and shaped by the OESC top-100 critical occupations list (Aug. 2024). The rubric included preference points for rural designation and for smaller service areas; 20 tech centers applied and 8 grants were awarded (seven trade/industry and one health award). The board moved, seconded and approved those awards by roll call.

Board members asked about scoring, timelines and eligibility; Gray said selection used a rubric that accounted for program requests, program numbers, completeness of reports and CareerTech student organization activity, and that a separate unbiased panel of CareerTech employees (not division staff) scored applications.

The board approved both grant packages during the meeting; the motions were recorded with affirmative roll-call responses and announced as passing.