Western Maricopa Education Center is experiencing the largest enrollment in its 22-year history as demand for career and technical education continues to grow across the West Valley and greater Phoenix area.
More than 3,340 students are attending classes across West-MEC’s six campuses for the 2026-27 school year. The public school district also supports career and technical education programs serving roughly 49,000 to 50,000 students at more than 130 partner high schools across the Valley.
West-MEC Superintendent Scott Spurgeon said population growth, workforce demand and students’ desire to graduate with practical skills are contributing to the increase.
West-MEC typically receives more than 6,000 applications for roughly 2,600 to 2,700 openings each year, leaving thousands of students unable to enroll, Spurgeon said. The district is responding with an expansion that is expected to substantially increase its capacity in the coming years.
“We knew that we were going to need to increase our facilities to increase spots for our students because we were turning away several thousand students a year,” Spurgeon said.
Spurgeon said students are increasingly looking for ways to leave high school with industry credentials, work experience and a clearer understanding of possible careers.
He said career and technical education should not necessarily be viewed as an alternative to college. Instead, students can use CTE as a pathway into employment while continuing their education.
About 66% of West-MEC students pursue postsecondary education after leaving the district, with many working and attending school simultaneously, Spurgeon said.
“I think many students are recognizing that there’s some skill sets and some career pathways that they may want to explore before they go into the college experience or postsecondary experience,” Spurgeon said.
West-MEC currently offers 34 programs covering fields such as health care, manufacturing, construction, information technology, transportation, engineering and public safety. The district expects that number to grow to 42 programs next year.
Demand is particularly strong in the skilled trades.
Spurgeon said electrical programs that previously had available space are now full with waiting lists. Welding, medical assisting, nursing services, pharmacy technician, aesthetics and cosmetology are also among the areas experiencing strong demand.
“I think you’re seeing the trades starting to come on,” Spurgeon said. “We’re almost at the point where most, almost all of our programs are full and waitlisted.”
The district is also developing programs around emerging industries in Arizona.
West-MEC worked with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. employees to develop a semiconductor advanced manufacturing program at its Northeast Campus. Spurgeon said engineers helped the district identify the skills technicians would actually need on semiconductor fabrication floors rather than relying solely on job descriptions.
The Northeast Campus includes what Spurgeon described as the country’s only high school cleanroom simulation laboratory designed for the semiconductor industry. Another is expected at the Southeast Campus.
“We mean business when we talk about preparing technicians for the semiconductor industry,” Spurgeon said.
West-MEC’s growth is being supported by a $415 million bond approved by voters in 2025.
The funding will help complete the Southeast Campus and support additional campuses and programs, including facilities in south Peoria and north Vistancia. Spurgeon said the North Vistancia Campus is expected to include manufacturing training designed in part to prepare workers for Amkor Technology’s semiconductor operations.
The expansion could eventually increase West-MEC’s capacity to approximately 6,300 to 6,500 students, Spurgeon estimated. The district could add roughly 3,500 to 4,000 available seats as projects are completed.
West-MEC currently produces about 1,700 to 1,800 students completing one- and two-year programs annually. Spurgeon said the expanded facilities could eventually increase that figure to between 4,000 and 4,500 students each year.
Industry involvement remains a central part of the district’s approach.
Spurgeon said about 95% to 97% of newly hired instructors come directly from business and industry, while every program has an industry council that helps evaluate equipment, curriculum, emerging skills and credentials.
West-MEC added 117 business and industry partnerships last year, he said.
Students also have opportunities to earn industry credentials and college credit. Spurgeon said 96% of students who completed West-MEC programs last year earned their program’s designated high-value credential, compared with about 78% when he joined the district in 2022.
Applications for the 2027-28 school year open in October. Spurgeon encouraged interested students to begin talking with their high school counselors early and pay attention to academic, attendance and discipline requirements.
“Apply early,” Spurgeon said. “We have wait lists on almost all of our programs.”
As West-MEC expands, Spurgeon said his long-term goal is to establish the district as a national leader in career and technical education.
“My ultimate goal is for, at some point in time, someone to come out and say that West-MEC is the number one CTE program in the country,” Spurgeon said. “I think that carries with it a lot of responsibility.”