Jason Enix, the Huber Heights superintendent, said the district has an engineering lab that was part of the original high school. Many old engineering-related classes are now being retooled to meet state standards for career technology education.
“The equipment needs updated, the facilities need updated to go along with the change of course pathways,” Enix said.
The school will also renovate a storage space adjacent to the center in the high school, which would allow for a second engineering classroom that would support the engineering pathways.
In 2023, Huber Heights opened a new career tech program building that housed programming in the HVAC, welding and construction trades. The Miami Valley Career Tech Center staffs, manages and funds the space.
Career technical education is booming and more local schools are contracting with their county career tech center to host programs on-site rather than sending kids to another location. Districts like Beavercreek, Northridge and Jefferson Twp. are among those who have similar models.
The career tech center at Huber Heights was built using $8.5 million of the district’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Programs (ESSER) funding allocated by the federal government to schools across the country. The project ran into problems as construction costs soared in 2022, hitting several districts who were completing building projects at the time.
Huber Heights has an issue on the ballot for $7.8 million, which would cost district property owners $241.50 per $100,000 in property value. The school board approved cuts totaling $7.3 million if the levy does not pass in May.
The requested levy funds would go towards the general fund, which the district uses for expenses like teachers’ salaries and electricity. Since the $2 million for the engineering project is from the state of Ohio and given to the district for a different purpose, it couldn’t be used for any other expenses.
“These grant funds are not able to be used for anything different,” Enix said.
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