Shenandoah Valley News

Land for new CTE center fully acquired

Roanoke County Public Schools has completed the purchase of approximately 28 acres located off Peters Creek Road near the intersection of Airport Road at a total purchase price of $4.13 million.  This new purchase will be used as the site for the new career and technical education center,  replacing the existing Burton Center for Arts & Technology in Salem.

“This is the first step in the process to create our new CTE center,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools.  “We are in the process now of refining the scope of the building and the programs to be located at the new CTE center.  The School Board also continues to collaborate with the Board of Supervisors to identify funding for the project.  We are hoping we can begin construction by the fall of 2024,” Nicely said.

The Peters Creek Road site was selected based on the recommendations of the Roanoke County CTE Center Citizen’s Advisory Committee.  The Citizen’s Advisory Committee was jointly appointed by the Board of Supervisors and the School Board and charged with identifying potential sites, evaluating the proposed scope of the project, and exploring non-traditional funding options including alternate energy solutions.  For nearly a year, the committee worked to identify the future needs for a new CTE center in Roanoke County and to locate potential sites for the new center.  The committee also toured other CTE centers in Virginia to see how similar centers operate and what facilities are needed to provide leading-edge learning opportunities for students.

The current Burton Center for Arts and Technology is home to a Governor’s STEM Academy and award-winning programs including the Center for Engineering, motorsports and welding, Center for Mass Communication, culinary arts, building trades, mechatronics/robotics, health sciences, cybersecurity, and Center for Visual Arts. Students from all five Roanoke County high schools learn marketable skills for post-graduation employment and further education in multiple fields. 

“A modern facility for our CTE center will allow us to expand our programs to better meet the needs of the business community and provide greater access to high-quality programs for our students,” said Roanoke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely. “The new CTE center is a significant investment in our goal to graduate Roanoke County students who are what we call ‘Opportunity Ready’ -- prepared to take full advantage of career, educational, and life-fulfilling pathways to success,” Dr. Nicely said.

Original source can be found here