CTE Rural Collaborative to start 2024-25

This school year, several small high schools in Education Service District (ESD) 112 — Skamania and Klickitat counties — have participated in a grant opportunity that allows students to enroll in CTE programs at larger high schools. Columbia High School is not small enough to qualify as a participating school — but it can act as the hub.

Polkinghorn said the ESD is looking to centralize staff by hiring their own CTE teachers to offer a series of courses across various pathways.

“They need a school district, larger than the small schools in the cooperative, to act as the ‘hub’ for the CTE Rural Collaborative,” he said. “That is WSVSD. By agreeing to be the hub, our students would then be guaranteed spots in each of the CTE courses offered.”

CTE courses planned for next year are AP computer science, computer software design, IT fundamentals, medical pre-apprenticeship, careers in education pre-apprenticeship and financial literacy with algebra, he added.

“I want you to know our school personnel are excited and see this as an innovative way to enhance our CTE programs with no additional cost to the district,” Polkinghorn said.

School calendars approved

Board members unanimously approved of the 2024-25 and 2025-26 school year calendars as presented.

Six make-up days — once a month, February through May, and two in June — are built into the calendar; additionally, early releases for staff development have been moved to Mondays.