HORN LAKE, Miss. — Desoto County Schools and other community partners unveiled a $12 million Career and Technical Center for students Thursday.
DeSoto County Schools automotive students gathered around a car parked in the middle of their classroom as community members toured their new tech center.
Classes have been running in the new center on Kuykendall Lane since August.
“65 percent of the jobs require skilled labor jobs, and that’s what this building’s about,” said DCS Superintendent Milton Kuykendall.
Kuykendall is in his last few months at the helm of district before his retirement.
He said the district paid millions for the center, but it also partnered with Horn Lake and area donors, like the Homer Skelton Foundation, to make this possible.
“We have welding, we have automotive, we have construction, we have health science, we have robotics and engineering, information technology, digital media technology, and culinary arts,” said Career and Technical Center West Campus Principal Paul Chrestman.
Community leaders said the center hosts the only culinary school in North Mississippi.
Architects designed the entire building to be a learning device itself. Many cables and wires are visibly exposed for learning purposes.
Horn Lake has the highest unemployment rate in DeSoto County.
Chrestman said four year colleges are great, but they are not the only path to good jobs.
“A student can finish a one or two year technical program, be debt free, and go right into the workforce and make more money than some of those four year college graduates,” Chrestman said.
Tenth and Eleventh graders apply for a two year program at the center to complete as high school students.
Student Hayden Manasco is studying robotics and engineering.
“After that, I honestly have no idea,” Manasco said of his future plans.
Northwest Community College partnered with the center on class offerings, and it runs college courses at the facility at night.
Chrestman hoped the partnership could help ease students into tech programs after graduation if students find their calling.
About 400 students are enrolled at the new Horn Lake location. DCS has a similar center in Olive Branch.