A statewide campaign to secure full funding for career technical education in Alabama will be launched during a meeting with Sen. Cam Ward and Rep. Kurt Wallace on Tuesday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at LeCroy Career/Technical Center Conference Center in Clanton.

All supporters of career tech programs in Chilton County – including business and industry representatives, parents, students and local officials – are invited to attend the meeting.

“The new trend is a combination of academics and career tech,” said Chilton County Career Tech Supervisor Tommy Glasscock. “Students are finding that they need a skill set upon graduation to pursue their career and college potential. Career technical education prepares students to be college and career ready.”

Glasscock said he was encouraged by Alabama Superintendent Dr. Tommy Bice to get in touch with state senators and representatives and let them know about the importance of funding for career technical education.

Thirty-four career tech programs are available in Chilton County and include all agriscience, business, marketing, family and consumer science and technical programs offered at the LeCroy Career/Tech Center and other county schools.

“Ninety percent of all students will take at least one career tech course during high school,” Glasscock said. “So many of our students in rural Alabama will be forced to work and pay their own way in order to obtain a college degree.”

The meeting Jan. 24 will cover the following topics:

•Funding the Career Tech Initiative: $5 million that is used to support student organizations and career counseling activities.

•Creating a career tech line item in the Foundation Program known as O&M (Operating & Maintenance), which would allocate $1,800 per class to support the costs of program materials and supplies, a total of $4,375,000.

•Initiating a career tech bond issue: $30 million to purchase updated equipment and supplies.

For more information, contact Tommy Glasscock at (205) 280-2923.