Burns High School secures $125,000 State Grant to expand construction lab and career training
By Mindy McKerrall on Wednesday, October 28th, 2026 in Eastern/Southeast Oregon News More Top Stories
HARNEY COUNTY-Students at Burns High School are set to receive major upgrades in hands-on technical education thanks to a $125,000 Career and Technical Education (CTE) Revitalization Grant awarded to Harney County School District #3.
The funding will directly support the Burns High School Construction Lab, equipping local students with real-world skills in high-demand, high-wage trade industries across Eastern Oregon.
The local award is part of a statewide $6.4 million distribution announced today by Oregon Department of Education (ODE) Director Dr. Charlene Williams and Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson. In total, 51 Oregon high schools, consortia, and education service districts (ESDs) serving over 20,000 students received funding to launch or expand CTE programming in critical sectors such as construction, advanced manufacturing, health sciences, agriculture, and engineering.
Building real-world pathways for local students
The $125,000 grant will provide updated curriculum, specialized equipment, and expanded hands-on instruction within the Burns High School Construction Lab. By connecting classroom instruction with tangible trade applications, the program aims to give local students a direct head start on postsecondary training, apprenticeships, and high-paying local careers.
“The CTE Revitalization Grant Program recognizes the power of bringing education, innovation, and initiative together,” said ODE Director Dr. Charlene Williams. “These projects give students practical, real-world learning experiences that help them connect what they learn in the classroom to the careers and opportunities ahead. By bringing together education partners, business and industry, and community members, we are investing in our young people and Oregon’s economic vitality.”
Proven success in graduation and workforce readiness
Statewide data continues to highlight the powerful impact of career-focused learning:
| Metric | CTE Concentrators (2+ Credits) | Statewide Average | Difference |
| 2024–25 Graduation Rate | 97.8% | 82.0% | +15.8 percentage points |
These numbers demonstrate how relevant, industry-aligned coursework keeps high school students engaged and on track to graduate.
“We’ve witnessed a remarkable transformation through CTE that goes beyond statistics and changes lives,” said Labor Commissioner Christina Stephenson. “These graduation outcomes show what happens when students are connected to real pathways towards skilled, family-wage careers with benefits. By ensuring equitable access to CTE across Oregon, we can give more students–especially those historically excluded from such opportunities–a chance to step into stable meaningful work that supports their long-term futures.”
Highly competitive grant process
Established by the Oregon Legislature in 2011, the CTE Revitalization Grant Program received $7.9 million in legislative funding during the 2025 session. Competition for this grant cycle was fierce: the advisory committee evaluated 66 applications requesting a total of $16 million before selecting 51 recipient programs.
Applications were scored on community partnerships, geographic diversity, alignment with regional workforce needs, and commitment to serving historically marginalized students. The grant advisory committee includes representatives appointed by ODE from organized labor, business, trade groups, and education. With new resources headed to the Burns High School Construction Lab, local students will soon see updated facilities designed to turn classroom interest into lifelong trade skills.
