The new Clay County High School CTE Building is almost finished, and students could use it as soon as late September.
School Board Chair Benji Bailey said he is excited to see the building come to fruition. Bailey said the remaining work includes finishing touches on the inside, and the only delays have come from shipping issues. Bailey said the new building has been a goal for a long time.
“We can better prepare our students for the workforce,” Bailey said. “But also, we can utilize it to help those students who are on the college route as well. It will be a multi functional building that we are ultimately preparing students so that they’re ready to take the next step.”
Bailey said that the building will benefit the community in the long term by developing the next generation of workers. Bailey said this is an investment in many areas that he thinks will pay dividends.
Bailey said he hopes CTE students can take the knowledge gained from their programs and use it to get a good start on their career. He said students will be able to experience mock interviews and guest speakers to help get a leg up.
Bailey said several CTE focused groups will be able use the building, including FFA, FBLA, the FCCLA. Bailey said he hopes the school’s welding program can use the building in the future.
Bailey said there will eventually be a classroom in the building for students to meet. He said he hopes that will be a digital arts classroom so students can be exposed to various forms of media.
“There are many things that we have going on in our CTE programs that this building will help facilitate,” Bailey said. “It will give them a place to go, give them a place to store materials, give them a place to meet. And then also, in the near future, hopefully it will be used as a classroom in some form or fashion.”
Clay County is one of many Upper Cumberland school districts that have made big investments in their CTE programs over the last several years. Bailey said the desire for schools to prioritize CTE came from state government initiatives.
“It is really beneficial to small counties like Clay County where we’re able to better prepare our students for the workforce,” Bailey said. “You can support local business. From a school system standpoint, you can provide them with a good labor ready workforce when the students graduate by them having some experience already.”
Bailey said the new building is a positive step for current students, future students, and the county as a whole. He said he expects it to open to students in September.