Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Louisiana High School Opens New CTE Center

  • By Matt Jones
  • 09/26/22

A Louisiana high school recently completed a series of construction and renovation projects with the ribbon-cutting for its new Career Technical Education Center. West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, La., renovated its old gymnasium as a centralized home for its CTE program, according to a news release. The other projects recently completed include a new gymnasium and a Freshman Academy, and all three cost a total of $14.2 million.

The news release reports that the CTE Center houses programs like welding, culinary arts, EMR training, and CNA training. These classes were previously held at local technical colleges, and having to transport students back and forth to these locations during the school day required precise scheduling.

“We had to be very rigid in scheduling,” said West Feliciana School District Superintendent Hollis Milton. “Now, we can be agile. Kids can have a flexible, dual experience here at school. You can take off your welding gear and head straight across the courtyard to Honors English.”

The Freshman Academy involved a renovation of the front portion of the school and includes new classrooms, a Freshman Commons area, science labs, an administrative suite and a more clearly defined entrance to the school. Its purpose is to create a smoother transition for incoming freshman, giving them their own dedicated academic and social spaces that are still part of the larger school. “With all this work, we’re aiming to improve the student experience,” said Milton.

West Feliciana High School Freshman Academy
West Feliciana High School Freshman Academy Exterior
Photo courtesy of Tipton Associates

The new gym features a large lobby, and the weight room offers floor-to-ceiling views of the football field. “It’s a place to compete and to celebrate,” Milton said.

West Feliciana High partnered with architecture firm Tipton Associates and general contractor Stuart & Co. for the project’s construction.

About the Author

Matt Jones is senior editor of Spaces4Learning. He can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • Photo credit - Chuck Coates

    Florida District Modernizes Central Energy Plants at Two High Schools

    Flagler Schools, a public school district in Flagler County, Fla., recently partnered with Matern Professional Engineering to modernize the central energy plants at two of its high schools, according to a news release. The project is part of a larger, district-wide effort to reduce energy costs and operational expenses.

  • Benson Polytechnic High School in Portland, OR

    Preserving Legacy, Designing for the Future

    As historic academic buildings age, institutions face a difficult decision: preserve and adapt or demolish and rebuild. How do we honor the legacy of these spaces while adapting them to meet the needs of modern learners?

  • California K–12 District Completes Elementary School Campus Replacement

    The West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) in Richmond, Calif., recently announced the completion of a replacement campus for Lake Elementary School, according to a news release. The school has capacity for 470 students between Transitional Kindergarten (TK) and sixth grade.