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Rice Lake presentation outlines youth apprenticeship expansion; board committee weighs late bus, Tech Ed growth and daytime cell-phone ban
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Summary
Tech-ed teacher Ryan Erickson updated the Rice Lake Area School District board on an expanding youth apprenticeship program — requirements include 450 hours, paid placements and state reimbursements — and trustees discussed related ideas including a late bus, CTE/Tech Ed expansion and studying a daytime cell-phone ban.
Ryan Erickson, a tech-ed teacher at Rice Lake High School, presented an update on the district’s youth apprenticeship program at the May 20 board meeting, saying the program gives juniors and seniors "an opportunity for high school juniors or seniors, to pursue a job in their future desired career field." Erickson said the program requires students to log 450 hours with a matched employer, take two related high-school courses, and complete two or three state-provided skills evaluations during their placement.
Erickson described the positions as paid, noting employers must pay at least minimum wage and participate in evaluations. Students who finish the program earn elective credit, an industry-recognized skill certificate and program incentives such as a toolbox, jacket or up to $200 in supplies tailored to the student’s career pathway. Erickson also said the district submits expenses to CESA 11 for reimbursement (he cited roughly $535 per eligible student) and pursues CTE incentive grants that can return about $800–$1,000 to the district for certain certifications.
The teacher, who took over coordination of the program this year, said enrollment grew from five students before his tenure to nine this year, including eight seniors and one junior. He described monthly meetings for participants to build peer learning and troubleshoot on-the-job issues, and emphasized employer mentoring as key to long-term employment outcomes. "About 75 percent of youth partnership students are offered a full time job with that employer when they finish the program," Erickson reported, citing a statistic he said he found on a youth partnership website.
During Q&A trustees asked how parents are involved, whether Erickson receives a summer contract to coordinate placements, and whether the program can be scaled without adding undue burden on his teaching time. Erickson said he contacts parents when students sign up, that most coordination has been handled outside classroom hours so far, and that he hopes efficiencies gained after the first year will reduce the time required to run the program.
The Warrior Connection committee spoke next about related support ideas inspired by the apprenticeship work. Committee members outlined plans to survey families on interest in a late bus or shuttle to enable more students to participate in after-school activities, and floated partnering with the Boys and Girls Club to provide staffed after-school programming at the high school. The committee also recommended exploring TechEd and CTE expansion; a trustee mentioned outreach to a vendor identified as First Technology Inc. to evaluate equipment and space needs.
Committee discussion included a proposal to study a daytime cell-phone ban for students, framed around concerns about mental health, bullying and social connection. An unidentified committee member said the committee would "start a discussion, emphasizing a discussion, a systematic discussion about whether we should head toward a complete cell phone ban during the day," and the committee planned to raise the topic at its next full meeting.
What’s next: Erickson said he will follow up with employers and continue recruiting students and partners for 2025–26. The board’s committee will take next steps on the late-bus feasibility study, TechEd evaluation and whether to recommend any formal policy work on daytime cell-phone limits to the full board.
