By admin 
TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – The Tucson Unified School District is investing more than $1 million this year in four career and technical education programs.
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Two programs are being improved, and two are brand-new.
The investment comes as student demand for CTE grows nationwide, and TUSD struggles with low enrollment and budget issues.
Ethan Burbank is one of 119 students in the district’s new medical assisting program.
“I’ve pretty much just learned about anatomy and, like, proper patient-to-physician communication,” Ethan said.
New programs and certifications
Instructor Heather Shaw said students in the medical assisting program will earn several professional certifications, paid for by the program.
“By the time they graduate, they’re going to be career-ready, future healthcare professionals,” Shaw said.
Before students can begin working in the mock-lab with medical equipment, they must get OSHA certified. The district says 1,500 CTE students have earned an OSHA certificate as of this year.
TUSD CTE Program Manager Chuck McCollum said the district is working to expand CTE offerings.
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“We’re looking at really trying to increase our CTE programs to provide students the things they want to do down the road,” McCollum said.
Nationwide demand increasing
A 2025 Ed Week survey reports that student demand for CTE programs has increased by more than 60% nationwide.
In Tucson, new programs include welding at Sabino High School and the medical assisting program at Rincon/University High School.
The district also combined the early childhood and home health programs at Pueblo to create a mental health offering and expanded the sports medicine program at Tucson High School. Other programs, like culinary arts, have also received investments of several thousand dollars for new equipment.
McCollum said the goal is supporting students, but that programs might also attract new families.
“As the instruction improves, people are going to see that, and they’re going to want to be in that area, and they’re going to want their kids to take part in that,” McCollum said.
Isabela Lisco is aReport for America corpsmember covering education solutions for 13 News. Her position is made possible through funding from Report for America and theArizona Local News Foundation’s Arizona Community Collaborative Fund.
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