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Mooresville board previewed 2026–28 CTE plan, including new masonry program and equipment upgrades
Summary
District staff presented a draft career and technical education (CTE) local plan proposing pathway rebranding, expanded middle‑school labs, new masonry classes in partnership with Gates Construction, equipment purchases for automotive and health sciences, and a proposed SPARKlab facilitator funded through PRC‑14. The plan returns for approval in June.
Mooresville Graded School District staff on Tuesday outlined a draft 2026–2028 local plan for career and technical education that emphasizes expanding hands‑on pathways, partnerships with local employers, and investments in classroom technology.
"We have a new masonry program with a partnership with Gates Construction," said Mister Wilson, the district CTE presenter, describing program changes designed to connect students with local trade opportunities. Wilson told the board the district also plans to upgrade automotive alignment machines, buy additional 3‑D printers for the STEM lab and expand middle‑school Paxton Patterson labs to increase early exposure to technical skills.
The plan, staff said, is intended to boost credential attainment and CTSO participation. Wilson said the district set a goal this year for credential attainment of roughly 78–80 percent and that preliminary fall numbers suggested strong progress. He also stated that the district "exhaust[s] every dime of our credential budget," noting demand for credential funding and plans to use PRC‑14 funds to create a full‑time SPARKlab facilitator if the board approves the budget line.
District presenters described a number of pilot and alignment efforts: a fifth‑grade career exploration pilot, increased CTSO activity, vertical alignment with Mitchell Community College and the creation of digital portfolios through the career development process. Staff said they intend to rebrand pathways and better market advanced manufacturing, STEM, health care and other career clusters to students and families to increase enrollment in those options.
Board members asked how the district measures employer demand and student aptitude; Wilson said the district uses a third‑party platform called Pathful for assessments and also coordinates with county economic development partners and Mitchell Community College to align programs to local labor needs.
The proposal includes curriculum and equipment investments, new course offerings (including masonry) and an emphasis on connecting CTE coursework to end‑of‑course assessments to raise rigor and student outcomes. Staff emphasized that some prerequisites will be removed for incoming ninth graders so they can access carpentry and electrical trades sooner.
The plan was presented for review; Wilson and other staff said they would return with the plan for formal approval at the board’s June business meeting.
Next step: the board will receive the full local plan packet and a recommendation for action in June 2026.
