Gateway Unified seeks state CTE facilities grants to modernize construction and ag mechanics programs

Gateway Unified staff told the board they will submit two competitive Proposition 2 applications to the California Department of Education to modernize the district’s CTE facilities.

A district presenter (Speaker 4) said the state’s Proposition 2 process is staged: an initial narrative and preliminary plan are submitted to CDE for scoring, and selected projects move to a second phase that requires architect plans and DSA submittals. "The state is offering a 1 to 1 match for modernization projects," the presenter said, noting that the grant program permits the district to leverage existing bond funds for additional work.

Staff described the two targets for the applications: the construction trades facility (an older building with an estimated project cost of about $2,000,000 that would include reroofing, fire‑safety upgrades, an outdoor pavilion and equipment purchases, and a district bond match of roughly $1,000,000) and the agricultural mechanics/Ag FAB building (a larger modernization with an estimated cost of about $5.5 million). The presenter said if both grants were awarded, the state match would effectively extend the district’s bond funds and leverage up to an additional $3,000,000 in project capacity.

The board was told these projects were already in the district’s bond plan and that the grants would allow the district to fund modernization items not covered by prior CTE grants that focused on curriculum rather than facilities. Staff framed the applications as competitive and noted potential timelines tied to DSA and the application scoring process.