Wednesday, April 27, 2005

A Butler County building already in use as a community education center will soon be a new home for vocational students.

The 86,000-square-foot building, which was donated to Butler County Schools a year ago by Sumitomo Corp. when the company left the area, is already being used as an adult literacy center and a learning center for at-risk students. But a renovation in the works will help turn part of the building into a vocational center, which will serve high school students and adult learners.

Were developing a huge educational complex here in Butler County, Superintendent Larry Woods said. Were meeting a lot of needs here in the district. Right now, theres going to be about a 26-to-30,000-square-foot renovation project within that building.

Programs to be taught in the vocational center are not yet determined, but Butler Countys Board of Education is scheduled to meet Friday morning to discuss features of the building. The project is being funded with a $1.5 million earmark included in the budget passed by the state legislature, plus another $1 million from the state to cover startup costs.

We hope that covers everything, Woods said. Were working closely with the architect, and I feel we can make it work because were innovative in our thinking.

Bowling Green Technical College stands to benefit from the new vocational center as well. According to Iris Dotson, chief academic affairs officer for the technical college, the school is very supportive of the new center.

We hope to establish a dual credit agreement so people who take vocational classes there can transfer those credits to Bowling Green Technical College, Dotson said.

Ross-Tarrant Architects Inc., based in Lexington, is overseeing the renovation of the building, on the Morgantown-Rochester exit off the Natcher Parkway. Woods said the plan is for the vocational center to be ready for the 2006-07 school year.

The vocational center will be open during the day for high school students and after school for adults, Woods said, adding that the center will likely develop jobs in Butler and the surrounding counties.

The state has set a requirement of at least 180 students using the vocational center per day. With the enrollment at Butler County High School at about 650 students, Woods said they should have no trouble meeting that goal.

I feel like weve stepped up a big notch for our kids with this opportunity, he said.

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