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Board hears expansion of pre‑vocational academy with SUNY Canton partnership, including college credits and a ‘Switch’ electric-vehicle class
Summary
Administrators and SUNY Canton presenters outlined a four‑year pre‑vocational academy aimed at grades 9–10, offering survey‑of‑trades, welding, adaptive technology and a 'Switch' electric vehicle class. Presenters said many courses are already eligible for SUNY Canton credit and that the district will need additional staff and space to scale.
The Massena Central School District Board of Education heard a detailed update on a pre‑vocational academy that district leaders are developing in partnership with SUNY Canton.
Principal Alan Oliver introduced the program as an effort to reach ninth- and tenth‑grade students who are vocationally oriented and at risk of disengagement. Oliver said the effort is intended as "an attendance initiative to increase graduation rate, and it's an initiative to decrease dropout rate, all aimed at a group of students that we know struggles." He said the program has been in development for about four years and is now in expansion.
SUNY Canton representatives described the partnership as one that supplies adjunct instructors, curriculum alignment and dual‑enrollment credit. Mike Newtown of SUNY Canton said the college will send faculty to supplement instruction and help keep students on the college campus experience without needing to bus them frequently. Oliver told the board that "every course that you see listed on there at Massena High School right now is a college credit course at SUNY Canton" and that the credits are transportable.
Teachers involved detailed classroom offerings and student response. Noah Thomas described the half‑year "survey of the trades" course (covering HVAC, basic electricity, welding and carpentry) and said students "are taking HVAC, electricity, and basic electricity of housing and ... industrial welding, and carpentry." Bill Jagger, a technology teacher, described converting a STEM class to STEAM and running 3‑D printing, laser cutting, video‑game design and a new "Switch" vehicle class; he said the switch class attendance is routinely 95–100 percent.
Presenters described the 'Switch' vehicle as a kit‑based electric car program that required a training and a purchase that the board estimated at roughly $60,000–$65,000 (training included). Oliver said the kit is reusable — students can build, strip and rebuild it in subsequent semesters — and that the program would be able to expand only after the district adds staff and reclaims shop space.
Board members asked about enrollment and alignment with BOCES (the local career-technical education provider). Presenters reported roughly 50 students in STEAM sections, about 10–12 students in switch/vehicle classes and around 10 in survey‑of‑trades currently; Oliver said the district already sends many students to Seaway Tech/BOCES and that the pre‑vocational academy is intended to feed and align with — not replace — BOCES offerings.
Trustees praised the program's early results and asked administration to return with follow‑up details on staffing needs, space and the potential to coordinate further with Seaway Tech and BOCES.
