Santa Rosa schools withdraw plan to run career technical program

<p>Santa Rosa City Schools on Wednesday withdrew its controversial application to run its own career technical program after the state put the move on hold because the district had missed key steps in the process.</p><p>The application for Santa Rosa to receive career technical education dollars directly from the state instead of through the Sonoma County Office of Education's Regional Occupational Program drew sharp criticism from county education officials, who said the move would negatively affect every other ROP program in the county.</p><p>Santa Rosa represents 40 percent of the students in the formula that drives the county's funding, but receives only 22 percent of the courses that include culinary arts, cabinetry, Web design and auto body repair. Santa Rosa officials have argued the county's largest district is being shortchanged by the current class allocation formula.</p><p>But Santa Rosa officials were informed Feb. 4 that their application was incomplete and was placed on hold.</p><p>Sonoma County Superintendent of Schools Carl Wong, who suspended ROP funding countywide until the matter was settled, has told Santa Rosa officials that he expects the district to receive at least the same number of county-funded class next year, if not more.</p>