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Board approves $238,000 Perkins CTE grant to buy tech, send students to competitions
Summary
The board unanimously approved a 2026–2027 Perkins grant request for $238,000 to update technology, fund professional development and support career‑technical student organizations; staff outlined allocations for equipment, subscriptions and student travel.
Henry County Public Schools’ board voted unanimously on May 20, 2026 to approve the division’s 2026–2027 Perkins Career and Technical Education (CTE) plan, accepting a grant application that requests $238,000 to support CTE programs across the division.
Kiana Smith, the district’s CTE coordinator, presented the proposal and a line-item breakdown to the board. Smith said the grant request includes $130,000 for technology upgrades (computer lab replacements and other hardware), $30,000 for Career and Technical Student Organization activities and travel, $19,000 for staff professional development, $17,000 targeted at middle‑school robotics equipment, and $19,000 for subscription services used in CTE coursework. The request also includes standard administrative and translation costs required for state reimbursement.
Smith described the student population the grant aims to serve: approximately 6,263 CTE students overall, roughly 3,073 underrepresented CTE enrollees, and a special‑populations profile that included students with disabilities (529), homeless students (62) and English learners (153). She said the request is intended to expand hands‑on, industry‑aligned learning, credentialing preparation and access to state and national competitions.
The coordinator noted last year’s Perkins allocation was $205,000; the requested $238,000 represents a $32,000 increase. Smith said the state typically releases Perkins allocations in July and that all requested items are fully grant‑funded if the award matches the application.
Board discussion was limited and a motion to approve the Perkins submission was made and seconded; the motion passed by unanimous voice vote. The transcript records the approval but does not include a roll‑call tally of names for the vote.
What happens next: staff will submit the Perkins application to the Virginia Department of Education and await the formal allocation, expected in July 2026; if awarded at the requested level, staff indicated purchases and travel would proceed under Perkins allowable‑use rules.
