AZ HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMEN CUT FROM VOC ED

posted by Michael Chihak

Pima County's Joint Technological Education District will eliminate high school freshmen enrollment in the next school year because of state budget cuts, JTED officials announced Wednesday.

JTED is the 21st century version of vocational education, intended to provide academic and job skills to high school students. JTED enrollees can take curriculums in culinary arts, agrisciences, automotive technologies, nursing, construction trades, firefighting, early childhood education and a host of other programs.

Knocking freshmen out of the program next school year will mean at least 7,100 fewer students enrolled in Pima County, JTED officials said in a press release. It said the program's budget will be $3 million less than what it was in 2008, when it had half the enrollment it does today.

The JTED program was approved by Pima County voters in 2006 and has been expanding ever since.

JTED Superintendent Alan Storm said in the press release that the cuts will hurt not just the students but local businesses that depend on being able to hire skilled workers.

The cuts are expected to result in layoffs of JTED employees, but the number has not been determined.