News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Fentress County will get its own TCAT campus under the state-proposed higher education’s 10-year Master Plan update.
York Institute Director of Schools John Bush said this will allow higher education opportunities for students closer to home, instead of students traveling an hour outside of the county.
“It speaks to the value and quality of students they see coming out of Clarkrange High School and York Institute,” Bush said. “I think it speaks volumes that they appreciate our community here in Fentress County. It says to me that they are trying to make more opportunities so they can serve even more of our students.”
Bush said the campus located in Jamestown will be an extension of the TCAT Oneida/Huntsville campus. He said this opportunity would not be possible without several key players, including TCAT Oneida/Huntsville Director Dwight Murphy, Fentress County Executive Jimmy Johnson, Senator Ken Yager, and Fentress County Director of Schools Kristi Hall.
Bush said he is excited to see just how much this can benefit Fentress County students and even students from surrounding areas.
“It’s also a way for us as both being small rural systems that we can offer more programs,” Bush said. “If we try to offer multiple CTE programs of study, then we just financially wouldn’t be able to do it and then we don’t have enough students to offer 20 different CTE programs. Well between the TCAT schools and the two systems, it could be possible.”
