Reeds Spring breaks ground on new regional career center
Citing demand for career preparation and job skills, the new Table Rock Career Center will be constructed on the campus of the Reeds Spring High School.
The groundbreaking was held Friday.
The new career center will replace the current facility, Gibson Technical Center, which will allow more students to enroll. It also provides more space to add programs.
“This school will be a beacon of hope for students in our region, providing them with a pathway to a brighter future,” said Superintendent Cody Hirschi, in a news release. “It will also be a vital resource for businesses and industries in our area, helping to ensure that they have a skilled workforce.”
In April 2022, voters approved a $40 million "no tax increase" bond issue, meaning it will not impact property tax bills but will add to the district's debt.
The new career center — which will offer 13 programs for high school juniors and seniors and evening classes for adults — is the primary project funded by the bond issue. However, funds will also be allocate to renovate and to expand early childhood education building.
Brian Moler, director of the Table Rock Career Center, said the new facility offers more options for students and staff.
"Career and Technical Education has a direct and immediate impact on our students and communities," Moler said, in the release. "This building will help make those opportunities available to even more students."
In recent years, 25% of career center students are from Reeds Spring High School. The other 75% hail from schools in Stone, Taney and Christian counties.
“Reeds Spring is proud to be part of this consortium of schools that value career and technical education,” said Hirschi. “We are preparing students for the workforce or postsecondary education, based on their passions.”
The name of the career center has changed but the Gibson Lecture Hall, in the new facility, will honor former Reeds Spring Superintendent Omar Gibson — namesake of the current center — as he was instrumental in bringing the first technical center to Reeds Spring.
This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Reeds Spring breaks ground on new regional career center
