Ciresi announces over $115,000 in career and technical education grants for Pottstown School District and Western Montgomery CTC

Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus    January 13, 2025 | 12:37 PM

HARRISBURG, Jan. 13 – State Rep. Joe Ciresi today announced that $115,314 in competitive

grant funding was awarded to Pottstown School District and Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to help augment their career and technical education programs.

The schools were awarded the following grants:

  • Pottstown School District – $30,314
  • Western Montgomery CTC – $85,000

The Western Montgomery Career and Technology Center serves students from the Spring-Ford Area, Pottsgrove, and Upper Perkiomen school districts.

“I’m thrilled that the Education Department has recognized and decided to support the Pottstown and Western Montgomery CTC students’ potential through these grant awards,” Ciresi said. “This money will help enhance the career and technical education programs in the Pottstown School District and at Western Montgomery, providing students with the skills and knowledge to obtain high-priority occupations through a combination of classes and hands-on learning experiences. Thanks to this money, students will leave school even more prepared to apply what they learned at school to real-world problems.”

Under the program, grants of up to $85,000 are awarded to school entities to update or purchase equipment used in the training of students in approved career and technical education programs. The equipment must be aligned with the needs of employers, and programming must provide students with hands-on use of the equipment as part of the curriculum.

This funding is helping the Shapiro administration “get CTE done” through sustained investments in career and technical education across the commonwealth. In his 2024-25 budget, Shapiro secured historic funding for public education, with a $1.1 billion increase for basic education, a $100 million increase for special education, and a $30 million increase to expand access to career and technical education statewide. Over two years, the Shapiro administration has delivered more than $65 million for career and technical education and apprenticeships to better serve students as they determine the next steps in their education and career journeys.