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Elma board hears CTE strategic plan and a proposal to pilot a nursing assistant certification program
Summary
Kristy Kershaw presented the district’s CTE strategic plan — outlining new hires, industry apprenticeships, dual-credit offerings and a proposed nursing assistant certification pilot with Summit Pacific Medical Center to be reviewed by the state Board of Nursing on Dec. 9.
Kristy Kershaw outlined the Elma School District’s career and technical education strategic plan, telling the board the goal is to "transform our students into self reliant adults" by expanding industry-recognized certifications, dual-credit courses and work-based learning.
The presentation summarized recent investments and partnerships that support that vision. Kershaw said the district secured roughly $126,000 in grants last year for equipment across natural resources and manufacturing programs and identified a $100,000 grant targeted to health sciences. She also described purchases made for safety and instruction, including AEDs in CTE shops and a heavy-equipment simulator to broaden hands-on training.
Kershaw highlighted the district’s apprenticeship and worksite learning outcomes: 20 students participating in worksite learning who earned about $160,000 collectively, and seven apprentices who completed more than 7,000 hours of supervised training. She described partnerships with local employers—cited in the presentation as Sierra Pacific, Pacific Ironworks and Capital Industrial—that support apprenticeship cohorts.
A major focus of the presentation was a proposed nursing assistant certification (NAC) pilot with Summit Pacific Medical Center. Kershaw said the district and the medical center are preparing a multi-agency application to the state Board of Nursing and planned to have it ready before Thanksgiving for a panel review on Dec. 9. If selected as one of two rural pilot sites, the program would place a registered nurse from Summit Pacific on campus for training and clinical exposure and could allow some students under 18 to earn credentials and limited supervised employment options.
Board members asked about student safety training; Kershaw said AED and CPR instruction is provided in ninth-grade health classes and reinforced in shop courses, and that staff trainers have completed heartsaver training so students can graduate with current CPR/first-aid credentials. Board members also raised regulatory questions about minors working in clinical settings; staff and Kershaw noted minor-work permits and apprenticeship paperwork can be complex but said advocates are working to remove barriers while maintaining necessary safeguards (vaccinations, HIPAA training).
Kershaw described potential funding for the NAC pilot as substantial, saying the pilot grant could amount to "roughly a half $1,000,000 a year" to support staff and student experiences. She framed the work as multi-year and as part of a broader strategy to expand health‑science pathways and pre-apprenticeship options for students.
The board took no formal vote on the CTE plan itself at the meeting; the presentation concluded with an invitation to return with further details as grant and application steps progress. The district will report the Board of Nursing panel outcome after the Dec. 9 review.
