Talks with Toyota for Mechanic Program
As part of the discussion items at Monday's Macomb School District No. 185 Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Mark Twomey brought forward the latest update on the proposed Career-Technical Education (CTE) Center.
The CTE Center committee is composed of representatives from the Macomb School District, Spoon River College, MAEDCO, the City of Macomb and Bushnell and West Prairie school districts.
Toyota Level 1/Elite Program Twomey reported he, along with Spoon River College President Curt Oldfield and Michael Foreman of Woodrum Toyota in Macomb, recently met with a Toyota representative to discuss a Toyota-sponsored mechanic program as part of the Regional Career-Technical Education Center.
'We are optimistic that Toyota will partner with our auto mechanic courses through the CTE initiative and when students are done with the program, they will be level 1 certified Toyota mechanics,' the superintendent said. 'It's a win-win for our schools and Toyota dealerships in the region, who struggle to find certified mechanics. Toyota is excited about this possibility for a partnership. We're pushing hard for a Toyota Elite program as this would mean Toyota would provide resources and equipment for the curriculum.'
Oldfield added that he is excited about this possibility.
'This certification with a respected brand like Toyota, would provide students the knowledge to begin working in any auto repair facility immediately after graduation,' he told The Community News Brief.
Location, Location, Location
Twomey shared with the Board that the main disagreement among the Career Technical Education Center committee members remains the location of the proposed center: on northeast side of the Macomb High School, or adjacent to the Spoon River College Macomb campus on East Jackson.
'We're on the same page with everything else,' he added. 'I will tell the Board we don't have a lot of support to have the center here.'
SRC is in the process of applying for two separate grants, one for $6 million and another for $3 million. The DCEO grants are designed to help grow CTE program programs in Illinois, the SRC president explained. Oldfield, who will take the helm July 1 as president of Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, will remain as a consultant to see the CTE project through to completion to ensure continuity.
'I will continue to provide guidance to Spoon River College Board and staff for creation of this CTE regional center,' Oldfield noted when asked about his role. 'This is an important investment for west central Illinois region, and I want to make sure this project is successful.'
In January, a special Board meeting to further discuss the location of the proposed Career Technical Education (CTE) Center. The Board discussed the pros and cons of the center being offered at Macomb High School or Macomb's Spoon River College (SRC) campus, costs if on district property, leadership and oversight and more. Twomey told the Board at that meeting that he and Oldfield had an initial discussion, for an intergovernmental agreement between the two entities in which they'd share control and leadership over the center. Attorneys for both organizations would need to go over specifics before SRC and Macomb can be given the green light to move ahead with an agreement.
Because of this new approach, and the possibility of a flexible graduation plan for those students who will follow the CTE path, Twomey said then he is less opposed with the center being located at Spoon River's Macomb campus; however, at Monday's meeting, he said he is still pushing for the center to be at the Macomb campus, while Oldfield shared that Spoon River College feels it is important to have the center located close to other services that are provided by the college.
'The student support services along with other college infrastructure allow the college to maximize other investments that have been made with the Jackson Street campus upgrades,' he added. 'A new facility located at Spoon River College would also allow non-high school students to enroll in these CTE programs.'
If the center is built on SRC property, it could be located on the former Finn property, located on the east side of the Jackson Street campus. SRC purchased the property last year. In the meantime, Twomey shared he is meeting with Ameren this week to assess the feasibility of moving transmission lines that are on the part of the property that would house the center if built on the Macomb High campus.
'If they say they cannot, then there's no reason to continue advocating for the center to be at Macomb High School. If they say they can for $200,000 or a reasonable amount, then that's another discussion we'll need to have to consider building the center here,' he added. 'Not having a location decided upon yet is not slowing the committee down. While my responsibility is to Macomb High School students and selfishly, I'd still like to have this built here, the committee has the exact same goals in mind and that is a system that will benefit everyone. And our partnerships will flourish no matter what.'
Twomey also told the Board that most of the CTE-related courses that would be offered – carpentry, plumbing, electrical, masonry, HVAC – are on track. The advanced manufacturing curriculum is still under development, he noted.
Costs, Financing & MHS Enrollment
Even if the CTE center is built adjacent to SRC's campus, the Macomb School District will still kick in funding for the new center; however, it would be a far lesser investment than the center being on the Macomb campus, Twomey shared with the Board in January. Projected revenue streams for the project will come from tax revenues brought in by Camp Creek Wind Farm, along with bonds, the one cent sales tax, federal grants and private funding.
The Macomb superintendent anticipates at least 70 to 80 Macomb High students, around 15% of the junior and senior student bodies, each year being a part of the program, and would expect that number to grow as the program takes off. MHS and other students would be charged tuition at SRC's rate; however, Twomey noted there might be ways to lessen the costs for some students, such as those who qualify for free and reduced lunches.
Timeline
When the application is finally made to the state as required, there are two options: apply as a school system, which means only the school district's students can attend, or apply as a regional technical education center so that others in the community can take part. Twomey is pushing for an aggressive timeline, which would mean construction could begin as soon as Fall 2026, with the center up and running by the 2027-2028 school year.
