Board extends SWWC CTE agreement one year while countywide plan develops

The Chelsea School District Board approved a one‑year extension of the Southwest Washington (SWWC) consortium agreement that expired June 30, allowing current career and technical education programming to continue for the 2027–28 school year.

Administration said the extension preserves access to CTE classes, staffing and core offerings while district and county superintendents work on a draft countywide consortium agreement. "This extension for the SWWC schools would be essentially a one‑year extension so we can still function as is with classes, with staffing," the superintendent said.

Trustees asked for district‑specific participation numbers, noting that many Chelsea students travel to other consortium sites for programs such as cosmetology, welding and digital media. One trustee said the district should be mindful of negotiating crosswalks for students who are mid‑program if a countywide agreement is adopted so students can complete multi‑year CTE sequences without disruption.

Board members also raised concerns about transportation and whether the countywide arrangement could change Chelsea's access to CT millage funds. Administration said county millage funding is available to districts in Washtenaw County and predicted districts would still be eligible whether they remain in SWWC or join a countywide consortium.

The motion to adopt the resolution extending the SWWC agreement for one year passed on a voice vote; administration said it will supply the board with more granular enrollment data and proposed measures of success to inform future votes on any countywide agreement.

The extension keeps existing CTE programming intact for another year while district and county officials continue to negotiate long‑term governance and funding arrangements.