Original Research by School Decision on Career and Technology Educational Centers
Career and Technology Educational Centers is a district spanning Licking County that serves high school students, grades eleven and twelve, from the county's various public school districts. It operates as a career-technology center, offering trade and skilled-career pathways alongside dual-credit opportunities with partner colleges. The enrollment sits in the low hundreds.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller numbers of Hispanic, Black, and Asian students. Data on free-and-reduced-price lunch status and special education or English learner populations were not available in the reports reviewed, so a parent would need to contact the district directly to understand the economic composition or support services for students with disabilities or language needs.
The center's academic profile departs from traditional district testing. State assessment results and graduation rates for this entity were not available, which reflects the nature of career-technology education: these programs are designed around skill certification, apprenticeship readiness, and college-credit pathways rather than standardized state testing. A student attends C-TEC part-time or full-time to pursue a specific trade or career path, earning credentials and credits that move them toward employment or post-secondary education. That design means the usual academic metrics do not apply here.
What stands out in C-TEC's recent direction is the rapid expansion of programs. Beginning in the 2024-25 school year, the center added a Licensed Practical Nursing pathway developed with Central Ohio Technical College that allows students to earn college credits toward an associate degree and direct admission into COTC's registered nursing program. Cybersecurity and Information Technology, manufacturing, and new electrical trades tracks also launched. These additions meaningfully broaden the career options available to county juniors and seniors choosing a path beyond traditional academics.
A structural change strengthens access: C-TEC placed a satellite Electrical Trades program at Johnstown High School, eliminating the need for some students to travel to the Newark campus. This kind of satellite placement can matter for families with transportation constraints or students who prefer to stay rooted in their home high schools while taking career courses.
The Newark campus itself underwent a substantial exterior renovation, addressing structural and infrastructure issues and adding new façades, canopies, lighting, and wayfinding. A new state-of-the-art burn building for fire-service training is nearing completion. These facility improvements signal an organization reinvesting in its physical plant and student experience.
One metric to note is chronic absenteeism. Among Licking County's districts, C-TEC's rate falls in the bottom quartile, meaning attendance is weaker than most of its county neighbors. A parent considering C-TEC should ask the center directly what supports or structures exist to address attendance, and what the attendance patterns look like within specific programs. Per-pupil spending at C-TEC is in the upper range for the county, reflecting the capital-intensive nature of career-technology education, with equipment, facilities, and specialized instruction commanding higher costs than traditional classroom instruction.
C-TEC serves a specific educational niche: students ready to commit to a skilled trade or career pathway and willing to invest time and effort in hands-on learning. The center's recent program expansion and facility investment show growth in that direction. Whether it fits a family depends on a student's readiness for work-based learning, interest in a specific trade or health-care career, and openness to the dual-enrollment college-credit model.
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