Overton Schools Taking Next Step With New CTE Facility At LA

Overton County School District taking the next steps with plans for a new CTE facility at Livingston Academy.

The School Board approved moving forward with a $12,200 contract with Upland Design for survey work. Director of Schools Donnie Holman said the project was made possible through the Innovative School Models grant to invest in career exploration for students.

“The idea is to bring that down into the middle schools,” Holman said. “And they will be busing the middle school students to the high school for various projects and for various modules that they’ll have. And they may also have different modules at different schools also. To be honest, it’s a very exciting thing.”

Holman said survey work will help firm up the specs for the building. He said the $12,800 contract the school board approved for surveying the tennis courts and soccer field area will help determine the next steps to take for a potential location.

Holman said with an active CTE program, they are excited for the opportunities this will offer students both at the middle and high school levels.

“Any time that we can give our students a leg up, get them a little more prepared, we’re about it,” Holman said. “And we’re in hope that’s what this will do. To have our middle school students better prepared when they get there, and also, we’re hoping this will motivate them and have them a little more excited for when they get there. We’re expecting 8th graders to know, or have a possibly good idea what their future plans are, but we haven’t given them a lot of information in that past.”

Federal Programs Director Lesley Riddle said a portion of the $3.2 million will be spent to create a lab for various CTE classes to use and to serve as a testing site or meeting center.

Riddle said the school system also wants to help improve career readiness. She said one of the school system’s goals is to increase the number of students who graduate both with a high school degree and a TCAT degree.

Riddle said they also have a career readiness opportunity in the works specifically for special ed students. She said they are looking a building a PAES lab that mimics real-world workplaces and helps students with various disabilities master skills to help enter the workforce upon graduation.