By Claudia Loucks
Geneseo Current

New educational opportunities and experiences are on the horizon for students in the Geneseo School District.

The new Career and Technical Education Center, being built across from the high school, is slated to be complete in mid-August and will provide additional career options for Geneseo students.

Travis Mackey, former GHS principal, who is now director of the CTE Center, recently announced the availability of the first apprenticeship program, residential carpentry, awarded by the Department of Labor and said, “The students who choose this apprenticeship will need to log over 4,000 hours in the craft to receive a full apprenticeship. With the approval of the DOL, they can begin at age 16, and this is just the beginning of opportunities. We also have been approved for CN C (Computer Numerical Controlled) apprenticeships and will develop more apprenticeships during the year.”

He said 68 students already have signed up for the introductory woods and metals course at the CTE which is about double the usual number. There are three full-time instructors at the CTE.

Mackey commented, “The CTE Center allows us to meet students where they are and offer them options to explore while they are in high school. Exploration through apprenticeships, internships, job shadowing or interviewing will help our next generation find their passion and meet the needs of our community and surrounding areas.”

The school district has invited Annawan, Galva, Cambridge and Riverdale (Port Byron) to participate in the CTE and the Riverdale students are going to attend agriculture and building trades classes in Geneseo as well.

School Superintendent Dr. Adam Brumbaugh said a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house will be held at a later date at the CTE.

“The CTE Center is progressing nicely and is scheduled to be complete mid-August,” he said. “A third instructor has been hired to work specifically in the new building so we can offer more courses and more sections.”

“Also new this year, we anticipate welcoming five students from the Riverdale School District who have signed up to take vocational courses in Geneseo,” he added.

The 12,000 square-foot stand alone facility is located at 709 North State Street, across from the Fine Arts Center at GHS. General contractor for the state-of-the-art building is Boyd Jones Construction and the estimated cost of the project is $4.2 million. The school district received over $1.5 million in funding from generous financial commitments form local foundations, businesses, and the Board of Education itself via a 1 percent sales tax revenue. The remaining costs will be covered through bonds, with no increase to the district’s tax rate.