History will be made Tuesday morning when the doors open and students pour in to the new Logan County Career and Technical Center (LCCTC), which opens for classes for the first time.
Groundbreaking was held for the $14.8 million facility on Sept. 6, 2016. Construction was to end Dec. 19, 2017, but crews have continued finishing touches throughout the holiday break.
“The only item not on the building is some metal on the front of the building, but this doesn’t stop us from opening,” Superintendent Paul Mullins told The LoJo in early December. “All permits have now been attained and we will open as scheduled.”
The building is located in the fields in front of Logan County High School on U.S, 68/80, the Bowling Green Road, just east of the Russellville city limits.
Career preparedness has been taught for the past half century in a building on the grounds of Russellville High School. It was built in part with funding from the deGraffenried Legacy, a large sum at the time bequeathed to the city of Russellville by native son Thomas P. deGraffenried, who had spent much of his adult life as an attorney in New York.
Since the consolidation of Logan County Schools in 1982, Russellville Area Technology Center has served students from Russellville, Logan County and Todd Central high schools. A new facility in Elkton is now providing vocational and technology education in Todd County.
The decision to move what was originally known as the “trade school” or the “vocational school” was made by the Logan County Board of Education upon the urging of Kevin Hub, who spent two years as the Logan County superintendent from 2014 to 2016. He announced his resignation effective at the end of June in March. Board Chairman Kenny Robertson said then that the board would continue plans for building the new school, and the advertisement for bids came in April.
The board found an effective replacement for Hub in Mullins, who is a steady professional administrator highly capable of leading and implementing major projects as well as leading education throughout the county school district. A former Lewisburg Elementary School principal, Mullins was serving as superintendent of schools in Garrard County when he was chosen to head the much larger Logan County district.
At that groundbreaking 16 months ago, Mullins had the following to say:
“As we break ground today, we acknowledge that we are writing a new chapter in our school district’s rich tradition of excellence. We are writing a new chapter in ways that we can better serve the students, the community members, and our business partners. The Logan County ATC will be a cutting-edge facility that will help us develop and educate students with the skills necessary to compete in today’s competitive workplace.
“Through this partnership, we are building strong connections with local business partners to offer opportunities to train current and future employees and to provide re-training of the adult workforce in Logan County. By providing skills that will open doors, together we are opening doors of opportunity for those that we serve and the community in which we live. We are pursuing an expansion of dual credit opportunities and ways to expand workforce certifications as methods to work as a partner with the business community and help make Logan County more attractive to potential businesses.
“As Logan County strives to be a “Work Ready” community, we believe the Logan County ATC is poised to be a cornerstone in our county’s path to this prestigious designation. Today we celebrate with our friends, our community, our leaders, and most importantly our students this momentous occasion.”
Kentucky Education and Workforce Development Cabinet Secretary Hal Heiner visited the nearly complete facility Dec. 3.
“Secretary Heiner was very complimentary of our new Logan County Career and Technical Center,” Mullins says. “We spoke about how this building creates opportunities for our high school students as well as potential training for adults in Logan County,”
Beth Frogue will continue as principal of the school, the position she held at RATC. The faculty of the previous school will also remain in place for the most part.
Among subjects which have been taught at the school are Accounting and Finance, Automotive Technology, Electricity, Health Services, Information Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Office Technology, Welding, and Drafting/CAD.
Russellville High School Principal Ben Bruni commented favorably about the new school in his weekly column on The LoJo on New Year’s Eve. He said:
“Some students will be headed to a brand new building on Tuesday as the Logan Career and Technical Center opens its doors. RHS students who have been attending classes at the RATC will now be bussed to and from the new 68,000-sq. ft. LCTC where they will enjoy a state of the art facility that is the product of the joint efforts of the Russellville Independent School District and Logan County Schools.
“Students from RHS will be bussed over for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd block classes at LCTC and will be able to remain for the full class-period-time for each of these blocks thanks to second semester scheduling adjustments by RJSHS Guidance Counselor Rex Booth. Utilization of the multiple career pathways and industry certifications available at LCTC is a prominent focus of the RISD.”
Starting school this Jan. 2 will provide challenges for students and teachers alike at all seven schools (five elementary/middle school centers, LCHS and LCCTC). Temperatures are expected to be from single digits to low teens with wind chill dropping them further.