Pasco School District outlines career and technical education expansion and bilingual programs

Michelle Whitney, superintendent of Pasco School District, presented the district’s education priorities at the City of Pasco workshop on Sept. 23, telling council members the district is focused on preparing students for “a future they choose” through expanded career and technical education (CTE), dual-language programs and industry partnerships. Whitney said the district serves about 19,252 students across 25 schools and expects to open a sixth comprehensive high school in 2025.

Whitney said Pasco offers 44 CTE graduation pathways across 16 career clusters and has articulation agreements with community colleges so students can earn college credits while in high school. She described “signature” programs planned for each comprehensive high school and a pathway-based model at the new Orion High School that will emphasize health services, engineering and manufacturing. ‘‘Every day in Pasco is career day,’’ Whitney said, describing classroom-to-industry connections and options ranging from apprenticeships to capstone experiences.

The superintendent highlighted the district’s bilingual and dual-language programs, noting about 56% of students come to school speaking a language other than English and the district operates the largest dual-language program in Washington state. Whitney said district data show students in dual-language programs often outperform their English-only peers and that roughly three-quarters of participating students earn the state’s seal of biliteracy.

Council members questioned district performance measures and supports. Whitney said the statewide SBA remains a single data point and that Pasco disaggregates multiple data sources to track student growth. She emphasized early learning and interventions as primary levers to raise proficiency, and described an incident command structure the district uses to investigate reported threats and protect school safety.

On facilities and staffing, Whitney reported the new high school construction was on time and under budget and said staffing plans will be negotiated with labor partners to balance experienced and new teachers. She said the district has invested in modernizing existing CTE facilities under the 2023 bond so programs such as automotive, welding and construction trade education meet current industry standards.

Whitney offered to provide supplemental enrollment and virtual-program numbers requested by council members. The presentation closed with council appreciation and no formal action taken; the district agreed to share additional data on specific enrollment and performance counts.

Ending: The council invited more information and continued discussion about partnerships; no vote or formal action was taken at the workshop.