BOISE, ID – The Idaho Career Ready Students Council met Friday and awarded $7,437,410 in grants to fund Career Technical Education programs in public and charter schools around Idaho. Several north-central Idaho school districts received grants, including Orofino, Kamiah, Nezperce, and Lapwai.
The council has now awarded over $43 million in grants to fund 58 proposals and applications. To date, ICRS has received 150 applications with $138 million in total funding requested for new programs, existing programs, and capital projects. Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield pushed for the development of the program in 2023. H.B. 267 was passed by the Idaho Legislature and signed into law by Governor Brad Little.
The following grants were awarded Friday to support existing programs with over $929,000 in total funding provided:
- Mountain View School District was awarded $100,709 for Grangeville High School and $89,840 for Clearwater Valley School to modernize both CTE programs to be responsive to industry needs.
- Rockland School District was awarded $49,350 to make welding program equipment upgrades at Rockland High School.
- Aberdeen School District was awarded $4,336 to upgrade greenhouse equipment at Aberdeen High School.
- Oneida County School District was awarded $40,100 to fund upgrades to auto lifts and other safety equipment at Malad High School.
- Weiser School District was awarded $84,000 to perform a multi-CTE program update and to upgrade the ag welding programs at Weiser High School.
- Bruneau Grand View School District was awarded $46,979 to make welding shop improvements at Rimrock Jr./Sr. High School.
- Wendell School District was awarded $9,889 to upgrade the ag program at Wendell High School.
- Orofino Joint School District was awarded $312,000 to perform an expansion and upgrade to the industrial maintenance mechanic program at Timberline Schools.
- Cambridge School District was awarded $45,000 to make CTE upgrades at Cambridge Middle/High School.
- Plummer-Worley School District was awarded $146,820 to make upgrades to the ag welding, ag mechanics and power systems at Lakeside High School.
The following grants were awarded for capital projects with approximately $6,440,000 in total funding provided:
- Idaho Forestry & Natural Resource Collaborative was awarded $580,000 to fund a facility and equipment for the newly-formed Idaho Forest Products Education Collaborative.
- Kamiah School District was awarded $249,657 to fund the purchase of forest products facilities and equipment for Kamiah High School.
- Nezperce School District was awarded $86,235 to fund a greenhouse at Nezperce High School.
- Mackay School District was awarded $635,000 to fund an animal science and diesel repair and maintenance center at Mackay Jr./Sr. High School.
- Lapwai School District was awarded $1,278,843 to fund a shop facility at Lapwai Middle/High School.
- American Falls School District was awarded $908,775 to fund an ag building expansion at American Falls High School.
- Ririe School District was awarded $1,300,000 to build an auto and diesel mechanic shop at Ririe Jr./Sr. High School.
- Salmon River School District was awarded $114,683 to fund ag shop equipment upgrades at Salmon River Jr./Sr. High School.
- Shelley School District was awarded $98,000 to fund materials needed for the student-lead Save the Spuds project.
- Hagerman School District was awarded $884,248 to fund a food science lab at Hagerman High School.
- Cascade School District was awarded $305,000 to create a geothermal greenhouse at Cascade Jr./Sr. High School.
The following grant was awarded for the creation of a new program:
- Notus School District was awarded $67,946 to fund the expansion of the ETE program and the creation of a new cybersecurity focus at Notus Jr./Sr. High School.
“As this round of awarding draws to a close, we have the chance to take stock of what ICRS has brought to Idaho’s schools, students and communities,” said Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield. “Demand for these grants has been significant and the council had its work cut out for it in assessing many worthwhile projects. I’d like to thank every local education agency that took the time to apply and to thank the council for its diligent work to help transform CTE in Idaho.”
The ICRS program represents a historic $45 million investment in CTE programs across Idaho. ICRS grants increase the capacity of CTE in grades 7 – 12 by encouraging districts to create, build and maintain programs that prepare students to meet local and regional industry workforce needs. These funds are separate from the Division of Career Technical Education and reduce reliance on federal funds to support CTE programs in Idaho.
The 11-member ICRS Council is chaired by Critchfield and is made up of a variety of members from stakeholder groups around Idaho. It is tasked with evaluating program applications received from local education agencies and applications are prioritized based on factors such as partnership with local industry, sustainability of the proposed program and responsiveness to community and statewide workforce needs.
The council has voted to close applications and will consider re-opening them at its next meeting on May 22.
