Regional career-technical center pitches phased expansion, seeks grants to add welding and diesel programs

The superintendent/director of the regional career and technical center told the Montoursville Area School District board that the center faces space constraints and rising demand and proposed a phased expansion to add welding and diesel programs.

The presenter said the shared-time center operates across several buildings, serves students who remain enrolled at their home high schools while attending CTC classes, and relies on grants for equipment and certifications. He reported the operating budget is "just over two million" and said the current cost per CTC student is "5939." He told the board that some programs — notably automotive, criminal justice and culinary — are at capacity and that “20 students who wanted to get into one of those programs ... were put on a wait list.”

A feasibility review compared existing space (about 20,000 sq ft) to industry recommendations (roughly 25,000 sq ft for the target class sizes). The consultant options ranged from a modest renovation (about $1.5 million) to phased additions and full new construction (estimates of $14 million–$17 million for a complete rebuild). The superintendent said the board favored a lower-cost, phased plan that could reduce the upfront borrowing needed. "We designed to try to be no more than 5 million dollar worth of borrowing," he said, describing a priority first phase that a consultant priced at roughly $5 million (the presentation labeled that phase a 'bleacher' building sited behind the existing facility).

Program priorities in the phased plan are welding and diesel because regional workforce projections and annual demand data show those occupations meeting the growth and wage thresholds the district used to evaluate new programs. "Diesel and the welding are the two programs to go after," the presenter said, adding that agricultural diesel tracks well with local student interest.

On funding, the presenter said the district contracted a consultant to pursue grant funding and has submitted an application for a $5 million RCAP-style grant; staff have also met with area legislators, the county chamber and county commissioners to explore Act 13 and local allocations. He described a worst-case scenario in which no outside grant dollars arrive and the board would recommend completing only the $5 million first phase.

Next steps: the CTC board is expected to vote in April on schematic design and design development; if that vote is affirmative the schematic/design work would finish in September–October and then each participating board would consider the project. The presenter noted the governance threshold: the CTC board (six participating districts) needs at least four yes votes, and a majority of the combined participating board membership (28 of 54) would be required to proceed.

The board asked about staged internships, student scheduling and work-embedded options; staff said greater coordination with sending high schools and counselors would be necessary to expand multiweek internships. The superintendent also emphasized program quality metrics — credential rates, cooperative placements and industry-aligned tests — as criteria for selecting add-on programs.

The board did not take a final decision at the work session; staff will return with schematic-design materials and updated cost and funding information for later votes.