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Hacienda La Puente board approves grant‑funded aviation simulators, trustees press for sustainability details
Summary
The board awarded a grant‑funded contract for FAA‑approved Redbird flight simulators to start an aviation career pathway, saying most costs come from categorical CTE/workforce grants; trustees asked for clearer long‑term upkeep and enrollment plans.
The Hacienda La Puente Unified School District Board of Education on Feb. 18 approved a bid to buy aviation training equipment, including FAA‑approved flight simulators, as part of a new career technical education pathway for high‑school students.
Trustees voted to award bid 2024‑25.12 for Redbird flight simulators after staff said the purchase is largely funded by categorical Career Technical Education and workforce grants rather than the district’s unrestricted general fund. Staff described a multi‑layer grant strategy — including a planning grant, Golden State Pathways funds and strong‑workforce allocations — and cited articulation agreements with Mount San Antonio College to allow students to earn college credit and simulator flight hours that count toward FAA certification.
The board’s discussion focused on two issues: where the grant money originates and how the district will sustain the equipment. Dr. Jimenez and district staff said the aviation request was written to match grant requirements and that the district had applied specifically for workforce training funding. “This particular grant was explicitly written for this purpose,” staff said, noting that the district expects some combination of one‑time grant and multiyear awards. Staff also said the district received a Golden State Pathways planning award and is eligible for further multi‑year funding if it meets the state’s benchmarks.
Trustees and speakers from the community asked how the program would avoid diverting existing CTE funding from other programs and who would pay for ongoing maintenance, upgrades and software. The district answered that the procurement is a categorical, targeted award and that the Redbird simulators are a fixed capital purchase with recurring upkeep; one staff member estimated ongoing software and maintenance as a factor the site has to budget for.
Board members highlighted the program’s potential to build local industry pathways. The district cited Mount San Antonio College as a partner that could accept articulation students and described instructor credentials and industry connections used to recruit students and outside scholarship support.
The board approved the award and asked staff to provide a concise, written executive summary reporting the total grant amounts, which grants are committed and projected annual maintenance costs. Trustees signaled interest in expanding access (weekend classes or rotating site labs) to make the pathway available beyond the initial host campus.
Next steps: staff will circulate the grant and budget details to trustees and present sustainability projections for equipment maintenance and student access at a future meeting.
