Jefferson County School District 509J will use $250K state career readiness grant for new health sciences CTE program
Will partner with COCC, St. Charles, IHS and medical providers, help fill need for health care workers
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A total of 74 Oregon high schools serving more than 36,000 students have secured career readiness grants topping $7.629 million, including $250,000 to Jefferson County School District 509J for their new Health Sciences CTE program.
Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson announced the grants on Wednesday.
Here's the details of the Jefferson County Schools' $2549,998 grant:
"Jefferson County School District is deeply committed to Career and Technical Education. Funding from the CTE Revitalization Grant will allow us to grow a new Health Sciences CTE program that both Madras High School and Bridges High School students will be able to access.
"This will allow us to serve our diverse student population while partnering with Central Oregon Community College, St. Charles and IHS (Indian Health Services) Health and Wellness Center, along with various medical providers across the county.
"The new Health Sciences CTE program will allow students to pursue various certifications with COCC. As the Madras COCC campus expansion comes to fruition, there will be opportunities locally for students to pursue certifications in nursing assistant and medical assisting, as well as be on track to complete a nursing degree."
509J Communications Director Joseph Prechtl said, "We are excited about the opportunities the CTE Revitalization Grant will provide for students at both Madras and Bridges High School. The grant will be focused on building a health sciences program. We will be partnering with COCC to expand options for students in medical assisting, nursing, and as a community health worker."
Prechtl said they will use the grant to fund the first year’s salary for the teacher and startup costs for the program, including supplies and equipment.
"This program aims to help fill the need for health care workers in Jefferson County," Prechtl added.
Here's the state Department of Education's announcement and the full list of 31 grant recipients:
The Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grant funds from the State of Oregon will serve diverse communities around the state, with programs focused on advanced manufacturing, agricultural science, business, computer science, construction, cosmetology, engineering, firefighting, health sciences, hospitality, media and natural resources.
In total, the 31 grants help to create or expand CTE programs focused on high-wage, high-skill and in-demand fields such as Health Care, Manufacturing and Construction. These programs provide valuable access to experience, expertise and additional forms of support to the communities they serve and give students relevant education and preparation for career and postsecondary learning experiences.
“As the class of 2023 graduation rates indicate, CTE moves the needle on student success,” said Oregon Department of Education Director Dr. Charlene Williams. “CTE keeps students excited about both their school day and their future. These classes build a life changing bridge between the school experience and high-quality, well-paid careers in fields ranging from accounting and astrophysics to welding and zoology.”
Students who pass CTE courses graduate at higher rates when compared to the general student population. According to the most recent data for the Class of 2023, CTE concentrators (across all student populations) graduated at a 95.0% rate, 13.7 percentage points higher than the state as a whole.
In 2011, the Oregon Legislature established a competitive grant program entitled the CTE Revitalization Grant which strengthens the alignment of Career and Technical Education, workforce development and economic development. In July 2015, Governor Kate Brown signed House Bill (HB) 3072 and HB 5016, authorizing $9.0 million for the Oregon Department of Education to continue the CTE Revitalization Grant program. During the 2023 legislative session, $7.629 million was allocated for CTE Revitalization.
The CTE Revitalization Grant Advisory Committee–comprising representatives from organized labor, trade organizations, education and Oregon’s business, labor, industry and trades communities—reviewed 66 applications totaling $16 million in requests. The committee prioritized applications based on geographic diversity, community partnerships and programs that lead to high-wage, in-demand occupations, especially for historically and currently marginalized students.
“We've witnessed a remarkable transformation that transcends statistics and elevates lives through CTE,” said Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson. “The graduation rates among participants of these CTE programs not only surpass state averages but also symbolize the power of equitable investment in education. This isn't just about closing achievement gaps; it's about dismantling barriers and ensuring that every Oregon youth, regardless of background, has access to the opportunities that CTE provides.”
The Oregon Department of Education (ODE) and Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) jointly appoint the Career and Technical Education Revitalization Grant Advisory Committee. Additional information on grant criteria and additional summaries of the projects selected for this round of funding can be found on the CTE Revitalization Grant web page.
2023-25 CTE Revitalization Grant Recipients
| District/School/ESD | Project Name | Award Amount |
| Bethel School District | Kalapuya Tiny Home Build Project | $128,178 |
| Cascade School District | Cascade High School Agricultural Learning Hub | $190,500 |
| Clatskanie School District | Clatskanie School District Automotive/ Manufacturing Program of Study Expansion | $250,000 |
| Columbia Gorge ESD | For Students by Students | $265,959 |
| Condon High School | Building Opportunities for All | $65,597 |
| Dayton High School | Dayton High School HTM Start-Up | $205,655 |
| Elgin School District | Building Agricultural Resource Networks (BARN) | $250,000 |
| Gervais School District | Gervais Start Up NEW CTE Program | $250,000 |
| Gladstone High School | Gladstone High School CTE Revitalization Project | $249,994 |
| Grant Union School District | Grant Union Farm Academy | $200,000 |
| Harney School District | Harney Land Lab | $250,000 |
| Harrisburg School District | Harrisburg School District Computer Science CTE | $250,000 |
| Helix School District | Helix School District Agriculture Facility | $128,100 |
| Hillsboro School District | HSD District-Wide Expansion of High-Quality Health Sciences Programs of Study | $248,652 |
| Jefferson County School District | Building a Healthier Tomorrow: Investing in Jefferson County’s Health Science Program | $249,998 |
| Joseph Charter School | Joseph Charter School Building Up—Students and Community Growth | $250,000 |
| Klamath County School District/Bonanza Jr-Sr HS | Providing Hope and Purpose through Construction and Pre-Apprenticeship | $250,000 |
| Klamath County School District/Mazama High School | Crafting the Future: Mazama’s Manufacturing Revitalization Project | $250,000 |
| Klamath Falls City Schools | KU Media Entrepreneurial Enterprises | $249,755 |
| Lane ESD | Future of Realizing Manufacturing (FORM) | $499,923 |
| McMinnville School District | McMinnville School District Cosmetology Pathway Program | $148,408 |
| Pine Eagle Charter School | Pine Eagle School District—Residential Utilities Construction in Building Trades | $250,000 |
| Portland Public Schools/ Roosevelt High School | Roosevelt High School-PPS Emergency Medical Responder Project | $246,644 |
| Scappoose High School | Scappoose High School Broadcast Education Advancement Project | $250,000 |
| Seaside School District | Seaside School District Construction CTE Revitalization Project | $115,869 |
| Sheridan School District | Barbara Roberts CTEC Firefighting/EMT Training | $500,000 |
| Tigard-Tualatin School District | Tigard High School Manufacturing Production Lab | $250,000 |
| Wallowa School District | Wallowa School District Natural Resources Building Project | $250,000 |
| West Linn-Wilsonville School District/Riverside High School | Riverside High School Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Program | $214,460 |
| Willamette ESD | Bright Smiles, Brighter Futures: A WCA Health Services Expansion | $496,157 |
| Willamina School District | Willamina Workforce: Moving Up | $225,000 |
| Total | $7,628,849 |
