CTE millage to go before Washtenaw County voters as CTE program demand increases

The Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) Board of Education is placing a career technical education (CTE) millage proposal on the Nov. 4 ballot in Washtenaw County. This millage, if approved, would levy one mill over a decade to support CTE programs from preschool through high school. 

The board's announcement dovetails with a newly released county report on CTE called "The Future Moves with Us." The report shows that over the last four years, while overall student enrollment in Washtenaw County has decreased, CTE program enrollment has increased by 69%. Additionally, hundreds of county students are on CTE program waitlists.

"We've reached a tipping point now," says Ryan Rowe, WISD’s director of career technical education. "If we want to meet the demand of students entering our CTE programs as a means to affirm their post-secondary path, then we need to have a sustainable funding model."

Through CTE, students gain hands-on experience in career fields such as health sciences, entrepreneurship, engineering, robotics, construction trades, cybersecurity, aviation, and aerospace. They also get insight into whether or not they are suited for a career – avoiding later tuition debt and disappointment in their post-secondary choices. 

State grant funds supported the expansion of county programs over the last three years, moving the needle from about 53 CTE programs to about 75. Enrollment in CTE in the last four years has risen from 1,866 students to over 3,100 students. 

"That is in part due to us meeting the demand of students, but that funding has come to an end," Rowe says. "Now we're at this moment in time where everybody is at the table saying, 'How can I help?' And when you have the superintendents, business industry, post-secondary partners, and, most importantly, students as your greatest advocates, you're in a good place."

Rowe underscores that the new report is the result of several years of research and collaboration with local business and industry leaders, higher education partners, government, the county’s public school districts, and the University of Michigan (U-M) Youth Policy Lab. This collaborative approach helped to develop a comprehensive understanding of the county's CTE landscape.

The report shows that 86% of Washtenaw County CTE students enroll in college after high school graduation. 77.5% of students who complete state-approved CTE programs report using their skills in post-secondary education, or in their job after high school. It was also reported that Michigan CTE students achieve a higher median annual income across all levels of education attainment when compared to their non-CTE counterparts. 

The report also notes barriers to access, and Rowe says he's looking forward to working with supporters to address them.

"One thing we recognized through our work with the U-M Youth Policy Lab is that certain student groups are at a tremendous disadvantage in accessing CTE – specifically, students of color, students that are economically disadvantaged, and students in our smaller-enrollment-size districts," he says.

Rowe emphasizes that the future goal is to create an equitable system that provides access to CTE programs regardless of a student's ZIP code or school district.

"We simply can't leave one student behind and we cannot allow a ZIP code to determine their destiny," he says. "We've taken some very, very small steps toward initiating more county-wide programs, and we'll probably head down that path with the sustainable funding model." 

Washtenaw County public schools currently spend approximately $10.35 million annually on CTE programs using general fund dollars. If approved in November, the millage would generate approximately $25 million to reimburse school districts for CTE certified teachers and curriculum development. It will also help modernize learning environments and provide students with cutting-edge tools and resources. 

"We haven't even scratched the surface of opportunities that we believe we can expand with a sustainable funding model," Rowe says. "I think the community longs for us to have students immersed in action-oriented, real-life scenarios where they can apply their academic knowledge with excitement."

He points to the South and West Washtenaw Consortium, where 87 students applied for only 40 spots in the health science program. He states that those 47 students might not have the chance to become the nurses or health care workers that the community desperately needs.

"We need to focus our efforts to remove barriers, so that students have these influential experiences," he says.