A student at work in July 2021 at the technical education summer camp at Region 10 Technical High School in Brunswick. Derek Davis / Portland Press Herald file photo
An effort to turn Brunswick’s Region 10 Technical High School into the state’s first four-year, full-service technical high school has gained momentum after a study endorsed the idea.
The study, conducted by Gardiner-based Hart Consulting and paid for with a $250,000 grant from the Harold Alfond Foundation, proposed a new $60 million school, possibly in Brunswick Landing, that could serve about 300 full-time and 100 part-time students. About 330 part-time students from Brunswick, Freeport and Mt. Ararat high schools currently attend the school, which offers 14 programs ranging from building trades to digital media to nursing.
The school’s enrollment has increased about 25% since 2019. Statewide, about 9,800 high school students are enrolled in career and technical schools, an 11% increase from 2019, according to Gov. Janet Mills’ office.
“Clearly, there is interest,” Region 10 Superintendent Shawn Chabot recently told the Brunswick School Board. “We’re hoping to gain more students to the (career and technical education) world and give them those opportunities that they may not have traditionally had in the past.”
The new school would offer special education, Advanced Placement classes and extracurricular activities like sports. It would be open to students beyond its three sending districts; the study found there are about 18,000 high school students within 30 miles of Brunswick.
The plan has several hurdles: The Legislature would have to change state law to allow the new school to access state funding for special education and core classes like English and math. The school currently operates on a $2.9 million annual budget and would need an additional $3.6 million to expand. Chabot said officials would also need to find a funding model that would “hold harmless” other school districts that could lose state funding if more students transferred out to attend the new school.
“The goal is not to steal students … but to increase the pool of students who want that opportunity who may have had barriers,” Chabot said.
The study found 90% of parents and guardians of current Region 10 students are at least somewhat interested in the new school, while students reported hands-on learning and a pathway to a career or post-secondary education are the most appealing aspects.
Mills in February announced $15 million in grants to expand the state’s career and technical education programs.
“CTE students learn real-world skills, gain industry accreditation, take college courses and build connections with local employers,” Education Commissioner Pender Makin said at the time.
Region 10 Assistant Director John Stivers said technical schools prepare students for growing fields in Maine like energy systems, marine resources, forest products and manufacturing.
“Many businesses are in such dire need of workers,” he told the board. “There is so much opportunity for young folks to stay in the state, make really good money, get their education and make a life for themselves.
“The idea (of a new school) is feasible. … There’s a market for it. What’s yet to be determined if there’s the capital, the political will.”
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