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STATE ALLOCATION BOARD
1130 K Street, Suite 400
Sacramento, CA 95814
Contact:
Beth
Mills or Eric Lamoureux
916-376-5037
State Awards $199 Million for Local
Career Technical Education Facilities
for California Teens
SACRAMENTO – The Office of Public School Construction (OPSC) announced today that the State Allocation Board (SAB) has awarded $199 million in state grants and loans to build or modernize career technical education facilities at high schools throughout the state.
“Governor Schwarzenegger has a strong, personal commitment and belief that career tech programs are an educational alternative that many California kids need,” said SAB member and Department of General Services Director Will Bush. “The benefit of these wonderful programs is that they provide the opportunity for our young adults to join the California workforce with enhanced skills and be more productive citizens.”
Funding was awarded across 15 different industry sectors for 174 projects at high schools or other local educational facilities statewide. A total of $185 million in grants were awarded. The SAB allocated another $14 million in loans for districts that were unable to provide the required matching funds.
Among the highlights of the funding: $29.3 million will fund transportation education in all of the state’s major population centers; more than $28.5 million will go toward agriculture and natural resources education in 57 of the state’s 58 counties; Los Angeles County schools will receive more than $9.7 million of the $28 million awarded for arts, media and entertainment programs; $18 million in hospitality, tourism and recreation grants will land in the capital, San Francisco Bay Area and Southern California regions; while statewide, $22.9 million will advance engineering and design education and nearly $20 million will support building trades and construction.
“Today’s funding means career tech programs will grow and our teens win,” said OPSC Executive Officer Rob Cook. “When voters passed Proposition 1D in 2006, they gave these programs a shot in the arm by approving $500 million dollars to build facilities for new career tech programs and enhance existing ones.”
The SAB provides grants to school districts for new school
buildings and the modernization of facilities.
The SAB’s new CTE Facilities program is a 50-50 process
that requires a school to provide a matching contribution. A
school district can apply for new construction or modernization
funding if its facility is a Comprehensive High School. A
Joint Powers Authority can also apply for modernization
funding if they were operating a career technical education
program. The maximum grant is $3 million per project,
per school site. If a district qualifies, the SAB
can also loan all or part of the matching contribution.
“These grants will help ensure that California can continue to provide the academic, technical, and occupational knowledge to guide students to postsecondary education and careers,” said Bush.
For a complete list of all the projects that received funding
visit: http://www.cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr08/yr08rel34att.asp.
The Office of Public School Construction
serves as staff to the State Allocation
Board and as such is responsible for processing
school applications and providing funding
to qualifying school districts. As
stewards of the taxpayer’s commitment
to education, OPSC’s actions enrich
the lives of California’s school
children and enable school districts to
build safe and adequate school facilities
in an expeditious and cost-effective manner.
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