Relating to funding to support career and technical education.
HB 3446 revises how Oregon distributes money from the Connecting Education to Careers Account for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and career and technical education (CTE) activities. The bill keeps the overall split at 40 percent for STEM-related activities and 60 percent for CTE-related activities, but it updates and clarifies the allowable uses of those funds. For STEM, the bill continues support for regional networks, grants for program expansion and innovation, professional development, underserved student recruitment and support, facility-use surveys, and other STEM activities identified by the STEM Investment Council.
For CTE, the bill authorizes funding for student exposure to CTE programs, Career and Technical Education Revitalization grants, student leadership organizations, teacher training expansion, a pilot program to increase student access to CTE, and other related activities identified by the ORS 344.075 committee. It also revises the school-district distribution formula so that payments are based on students earning three or more CTE credits and on those students who also earn an approved industry credential or are historically underserved. The bill preserves the ability to distribute funds to school districts, education service districts, public schools, charter schools, community colleges, public universities, and certain nonprofit or partner entities, while capping administrative retention at 5 percent and requiring a biennial report to the Legislature on outcomes and workforce impacts.
HB 3446 amends ORS 327.372 and applies to distributions made on or after the bill’s effective date. Its main legal effect is to change the allocation and distribution rules for the Connecting Education to Careers Account, especially the formula used to send CTE funds to school districts and the list of permissible uses for both STEM and CTE moneys. It also reinforces reporting and administrative limits for the Department of Education, the STEM Investment Council, and the ORS 344.075 committee, while continuing to direct funds toward schools, colleges, universities, nonprofits, and other approved partners.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the measure appears to be a policy-focused funding adjustment with an overall positive orientation toward expanding access to STEM and CTE opportunities. The bill’s emphasis on high-wage, high-demand jobs, underserved students, teacher training, and student leadership suggests broad support for workforce development and educational pathways. No recorded opposition or divided vote history is available in the provided materials.
The most notable policy issue is the change in how CTE dollars are distributed to school districts. The bill replaces the prior distribution approach with a formula tied more directly to students earning three or more CTE credits and to students who obtain industry credentials or are historically underserved. That could be viewed as favoring measurable participation and outcomes over broader district-level support. Potential points of concern may also include the administrative role of the Department of Education, the STEM Investment Council, and the ORS 344.075 committee in deciding eligible activities, though no specific objections are documented in the provided record.