New educational opportunities open up for Killen, Hood Families

Story and photos by Staff Sgt. gregory Sanders, 85th Civil Affairs Brigade Public Affairs

KILLEEN, Texas - Fort Hood and Killeen high school-aged students will soon have more education options next year as the Career and Technical Education center of Killeen Independent School District is scheduled to open a new facility in August.

            “[The new facility] gives us the opportunity to work with a large population of students whose interests are not purely academic - Kids that want to create, that want to work with their hands,” said Rodney Hudson, KISD-TV manager and CATE instructor.

            The more than 140,000 square-foot facility will be capable of sustaining an expected increase of students and all the courses offered by the technical school on one campus.  While two campuses currently serve over 400 students, the new facility is expected to meet the educational needs of more than 1,000 students.

            “We are taking the district resources and putting it together for a shared time,” said Debbie Thompson, executive director of Career and technical Education. “Rather than trying to duplicate those facilities and program equipment at each [high school] campus, we will have a central place they will come primarily for the last two years.”

            From horticulture and agriculture to game-design and health sciences, the approximately $20 million site will provide multiple education paths for prospective students through advanced teaching aides and professionally qualified instructors.

            “Usually we are working within our field and then happen upon the opportunity to teach,” Hudson said.  “Most of the instructors here are professionals within their fields with advanced certifications or degrees.”

The career center requires at least 4 years’ experience within the field of their expertise prior to an instructor’s employment. In addition to an experienced and enthusiastic Audio /Visual Technology instructor, the automotive, health science and welding instructors all have certified experience within their respective fields.

            Preparing students for the real world is the ultimate goal of the school staff.  While many certifications can be earned attending the career center, getting the students to graduate is a primary concern. 

“It’s about the kids,” said Hudson. ”It’s always got to be about the kids.”

Even though students can expect to earn certifications in nursing, beautification or another field of their choosing, graduation is the primary focus of school staff.

            “Sure the students can get certified while they are here,” Thompson said. “But they have to get their diploma and that is our main goal – to get these guys prepared for the real world.”  

            Additionally, the career center is partnered with businesses in each area of study.  As part of an advisory partnership, organizations and business like Scott & White, CISCO and L3 Communications, offer real-world input into the curriculum that provides students an employment edge by communicating the skills businesses want in their workforce.

            “It does no good for us to operate in isolation,” said Thompson.  “What we’ve got to do is replicate the workplace as closely as possible.”

            The options offered to graduating students make the career center the ideal choice for prospective students.  With industry certifications and college credits earned, graduates are more marketable and profitable far beyond high school and create more career choices for themselves.

            “It gives your child more options on their future,” said Hudson.” If a student wants to be a welder, they can come out of here with an industry certification and go to work for another welder while he’s going to college learning to be a master welder. That only makes him that much more valuable.”