Education Funding

Grants Will Fund K–12 CTE Programs in California

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 10/11/19

California school districts have until Nov. 15, 2019 to apply for a matching fund grant from the state for K–12 programs that will help students learn how to make the transition from school to college or employment. The idea of the California Career Technical Education Incentive grants is specifically to "encourage, maintain and strengthen" career technical education (CTE) programs.

The emphasis is on initiatives that:

• Serve those student subgroups with higher-than-average dropout rates, are located in areas of the state with high unemployment and/or are in rural areas;

• Engage in collaboration with local colleges; and

• Make "significant investment" in equipment and facilities for CTE.

Extra credit will be given to applications that can tap into existing CTE programs and that have industry and nonprofit help. (The full rubric for evaluation is available on the grant website.)

For every dollar received through the grant program, schools and districts will have to provide a local match of two dollars.

Last year 337 grants were issued. Those ranged from a low of $125,000 given to two education agencies, Shandon Joint Unified and Six Rivers Charter High, to a high of $6.24 million provided to Los Angeles Unified.

Recommendations for grant award amounts will be presented to the State Board of Education during the January board meeting for approval. Following approval, notification will be sent out by late February to the recipients.

The grant site is on the California Department of Education website.