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Student survey finds high interest in trades and CTE; district officials cite limited capacity
Summary
A district student survey covering grades 8–11 drew 3,421 responses and found strong student interest in career and technical education pathways. District staff told the board that partnerships with Johnson County Community College cannot accommodate all students who want hands‑on classes, highlighting supply/demand mismatches and prompting discussion of possible expansion of CAPS/CTE offerings.
Adam Wessel, director of career‑ready programs, told the board that a district career‑technical education (CTE) survey received 3,421 total responses — 2,267 from high‑school students and 1,154 from middle‑school students — representing roughly 43 percent of eligible high‑school students. The survey asked students to select program areas of interest and to choose a single top choice among those they might pursue.
Wessel said the top six choices closely match current CAPS (Center for Advancement and Professional Studies) strand offerings, but he also flagged capacity constraints created by the district’s reliance on partner institutions. "We had 95 students interested, and we were only able to offer an opportunity to 26 of those students to enroll based on seats that were allocated to us," Wessel said, describing enrollment gaps in electrical, HVAC, plumbing, auto repair, welding and cybersecurity.
Wessel gave program‑level examples: 26 students sought auto‑repair seats and the district had five available through partners; welding drew 27 interested students but only five seats; HVAC had nine interested and two seats. He said the district’s partner, Johnson County Community College, has been a valuable collaborator but can no longer meet demand for sheer numbers of interested students.
Board members asked whether the survey’s interest numbers translate directly into expected enrollments; Wessel cautioned that interest is not identical to enrollment, and he said many students opted out of specific questions. He also said the district saw improvement in student participation in this survey compared with earlier efforts.
Public comment earlier in the meeting by recruiter Marcus Pouliot reinforced the district presentation: Pouliot urged the board to create a district career fair, to allow recruiters and trade schools access at least once a semester, and to encourage counselors to connect students with non‑college pathways. Wessel responded to board questions by noting the district is considering internal expansion of CTE and CAPS offerings to better match student interest and to provide exploratory opportunities that college‑level partner classes do not always allow.
District staff said more detailed enrollment and grade‑level breakdowns are available in the comprehensive report and that further work will be required before the board considers program expansions.
