LEWISTON  — The Lewiston Regional Technical Center will work with its member school districts over the next year to negotiate funding to cover expenses the state does not, according to Director Rob Callahan.

There is a 5% gap between state funding for the technical center and its expenses, according to Callahan. The center hopes school districts will help cover it. It is not seeking financial contributions this year.

High schools from member districts include Edward Little High School in Auburn, Leavitt Area High School in Turner, Lewiston High School, Lisbon High School, Oak Hill High School in Wales and Poland Regional High School.

The technical center expanded its programming into the new Edward Little High School, which opened this year. With the expansion, its budget increased by 18%, according to Callahan. The state covers most of the technical center’s budget and its subsidy increased last year, but it does not cover 5% of expenses related to specific items.

State funding covers staffing and instruction supplies, but does not cover equipment and transportation, such as lumber, steel and new equipment, Callahan said. Historically, Lewiston Public Schools has covered those costs.

Adding programming allows more people into classes and reduces the number of students on its waiting list, though the expanded programming did not exhaust that list, he said.

Some of the funding models the technical center is looking at include a flat fee for each district or a fee based on the number of seats a district has for students in each program, he said. If the fee is tied to the number of seats, it might allow some districts to increase the number of students it sends.

At a recent meeting of the Maine School Administrative District 52 board of directors, Superintendent Cari Medd said if the district agrees to provide funding, it might be able to secure more seats in classes in return.

Interest in technical programs is at an all-time high, Callahan said. Superintendents he has talked with recognize the classes are of great student interest but the funding request comes at a difficult time for budgets. He said he plans to grow programming responsibly to strike the right balance between investment and fiscal responsibility.

The technical center has received some donations from local individuals and organizations, such as an ambulance for the EMS program at Edward Little, provided by Sugarloaf Ambulance Rescue Vehicles.

Lewiston Regional Technical Center is the largest in Maine in terms of number of students and programs, according to Assistant Director Rob Schmidt.

He said enrollment stands at 865 students in grades 9-12.

Programs offered are: Automotive Technology, Business, Carpentry/Building Construction, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Culinary Arts, Education/Development of Children, Electricity, Emergency Medical Technician (EMT), Engineering & Architectural Design, CTE Explorations, Exploring Healthcare Professions, Food Travel & Tourism Management, Information Technology, Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering & Robotics, Medical Science, Multimedia Technology, Nursing Assisting, Plumbing, Precision Machining Technology, Sheet Metal & Welding and Trade Works.

Much of Maine’s future workforce and taxpayers are being trained first through high school technical centers, Callahan said, and having those skilled employees is a benefit to Androscoggin County.

“We know that this is something students are interested in, that the business community is interested in and we’re just committed to making sure that it grows responsibly, that we’re providing opportunities at a reasonable investment to the community,” Callahan said.

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