A plan is expected to be ready and communicated with parents of GCCC students by Monday.
“You can’t become good at welding if you never get to weld,” Deskins said “You can’t become a cosmetologist if you never get to cut a hair. ... We’ve had a lot of anxiety from our students about the return this fall because of course, kids who pick to come to a career center, in large part, are making that choice because of that hands-on experience.”
About a week and a half ago, the school sent out a survey to families, gauging preferences for returning to classrooms and labs. It received about 300 responses and Deskins said the consensus was parents were most interested in a traditional, in-person model, some would consider a hybrid model, but most were not interested in a remote-learning education.
The center is scheduled to have 730 students on campus in the fall.
One of the things that makes the career center different is I have to adapt to all seven schools in the county and their plans,” Deskins said. “What’s unique for us is we have to blend all of those different school cultures here on our campus.”
Despite the pandemic, the project managed to finish on schedule. At the onset of the virus, builders worked closely with Greene County Public Health to stay on track.
The $62 million project includes a 260,000 square-foot, two-story building designed by Levin Porter Architects that has glass wall entrance features. Shook Construction is the general contractor.
Construction began last February after voters approved a 20-year tax in November 2018 to help pay for the new facility.
“The excitement is when you get to share it with the kids and share it with the public,” Deskins said. “Obviously, the COVID-19 issue really limits our ability to open it up and let people get in here as quickly as we would like.”
Students are scheduled to return to the campus on August 25, however, a public open house is likely to be delayed until later in the year. Deskins said the school is working on a virtual tour for the community, in place of the planned open house that was originally planned for September.
“That’s been really for us the biggest challenge,” Deskins said. “We’re excited to share with (the public) what they helped us accomplish.”
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