At the Alma School District school board meeting, students and staff presented a showcase of Career and Technical Education programs and board leaders described recent grants and planned equipment purchases to expand hands‑on learning and internships.

Board members heard students and staff describe pathways in agriculture, engineering, technology and business, and officials summarized grants and equipment purchases that the district said will support those programs.

Miss Parker, the district’s CTE coordinator, told the board that February is National CTE Month and explained that Alma High School tracks student participation through pathway “concentrator” and “completer” status. “If they take three courses in a pathway, they become what is a completer,” Parker said. She asked the board to note that many students cross pathways and that the district is building a culture of combined CTSO (Career and Technical Student Organization) activity, including community service projects such as Valentine’s Day cards for a nursing home.

Students representing chapter organizations gave brief descriptions of their programs. Mason Collins, Alma FFA chapter parliamentarian, described FFA activities and leadership and noted the organization’s national scale. Xavier Herzig, serving as a TSA state officer, said about 87 Alma students will represent the school at the Arkansas Technology Student Association state competition in Little Rock. “TSA actually pushed me to pursue a leadership role,” Herzig said.

District leaders described investments and grants intended to support the pathways Parker and the students outlined. Doctor Wood identified a pre‑engineering grant that paid for 30 new computers loaded with specialized software. Wood said the district has also bought welding equipment and a plasma cutter for agricultural and career‑tech instruction, and has ordered a tractor simulator that district staff estimated at about $150,000 for multi‑equipment training. “We did get that grant partially funded this year,” Wood said of the pre‑engineering award.

Jason Rutherford, the district’s transportation director, told the board the district won a separate federal or state award that he said nets the district $352,000 tied to electric school buses, which Rutherford characterized as equivalent to eight free buses under the program’s terms. “He chased that down,” Wood said, thanking Rutherford for securing the funds.

Wood also described plans to expand work‑based learning, saying state guidance is shifting toward internships and career practicums that align with local industry needs. The superintendent said the state is prioritizing “high demand/high wage” pathways and that the district is working with the regional cooperative to apply for funding and internships.

The board was also invited to a CTE showcase on Feb. 19 at 11:15 a.m., an event Wood described as a chance to see program demonstrations and meet students involved in CTSOs.

Ending: Board members thanked the students and staff. Several trustees noted that students’ public speaking and leadership skills were evident in the presentations and praised CTE staff for grant work and program development.