The Sugar-Salem Diggers got digging for the new Career Technical Education Center
Students, Salem-Sugar School District Board members, College of Eastern Idaho President Lori Barber and members of the Idaho Legislature turning dirt at the groundbreaking ceremony. | Isabella Sosa-Salazar, EastIdahoNews.comSUGAR CITY – High school students north of Rexburg will soon have the opportunity to learn the trades while still in school.
Local school officials and elected leaders gathered in Sugar City Friday morning to break ground on the Career Technical Education Center, a new school building in Sugar-Salem School District 322.
The CTE building will serve high school students, with the possibility of opening it up to adult evening classes through the College of Eastern Idaho.
The new building, to be built on 1 Digger Drive, opens doors for students to study auto-tech, welding and certified nursing assistant programs, according to District Superintendent Jared Jenks. He told EastIdahoNews.com that in the future, they want to offer other programs, including emergency medical technician training.
“Opportunities for learning are vastly different today than they were 20 years ago,” Jenks said. “As in-demand careers change, the school district must also be moldable to meet the evolving education needs and career opportunities for students.”
Second turning of dirt for the Career Technical Education Center. | Isabella Sosa-Salazar, EastIdahoNews.com
Community partners will contribute equipment and donations to several of the CTE’s programs. Madison Memorial Hospital and Mountain View Hospital will help with the CNA program. Taylor Chevrolet, Stone’s and Woody Smith Ford will help with the auto-tech programs.
“We know that not every student wants to go to college, and we want to give them every opportunity to be successful,” said Kristin Galbraith, chairwoman of District 322 Board of Trustees.
The CTE building will sit at 17,000-square-feet on 2.1 acres. The building will be complete with four classrooms, two shops and an office space.
Rendering of the Career Technical Education Center | Isabella Sosa-Salazar, EastIdahoNews.com
The building costs $3.9 million to complete. The Idaho Career Ready Students Grant awarded $2.7 million, and the remaining cost is covered by saved up district funds.
“This facility is a beacon to education,” Galbraith said. “It’s going to be a bridge that bridges academic education and hands-on learning that will prepare and equip our students for future education and for future success in their lives.”
Construction is scheduled for completion in August 2025.