The controversial nickel tax, alas, we progress.
Recently, the Mason County School Board approved the purchase of a building that once housed the Honda Dealership on Tucker Drive. The building had been vacant for some time and People’s Bank of Kentucky reduced the price more than half a million dollars in a show of their commitment to education and investment in our community. This approval and pending transaction was made possible only by the support of the community in voting for the nickel tax. It is fiscally responsible in choosing whether to update the existing Area Technology Center or purchase an already well-equipped structure in which to relocate. As you may have read in an earlier article, the Kentucky Department of Education has the final say in the purchase as they oversee how that pot of money is spent but, kudos to the Board of Education on this decision.
Long overdue, Career and Technical Education is receiving recognition as to its importance on the community, state, and national level. Our students are going to get the facility and equipment they have so long deserved to be competitive in the global marketplace. This is a tremendous benefit to our area and huge thanks is to those who advocated on its behalf. The campus will be something in which the community can take pride and ownership as they continue to recruit business and industry to invest in locating or relocating to the area. The structure will be a visible reminder of the emphasis placed upon the value of career and technical education and a comparable learning environment to that of the STEAM Academy.
Nationally, the winds have shifted for the better in developing strong community partnerships between business and industry and secondary/post-secondary education. Fortunately, we have been able to work locally to develop these partnerships through apprenticeships and programs such as KY FAME. The alignment of goals and emphasis on training and retaining local talent will enable more of our students to learn and earn simultaneously. This model of learning can begin in K-12 institutions resulting in stackable credentials, real world experience, and a commitment to investing in human capacity; ultimately our most valuable resource. Students will be presented with viable options for a solid career in which they can remain local, start earning income, and obtain credentials or degrees with little to no student debt. Parents can feel optimistic and encouraged about the multiple opportunities provided to their child through this pathway to careers model.
At the end of the day, taxpayers’ collective nickels have provided the students and stakeholders of Mason County an option to make a solid investment in the community and its future. A job well done.
