HUNTINGTON, Ind. (WFFT) -- A work in progress since 2015, the Huntington Learning Center was finally given the green-light for a $4.5 million expansion.
From welding to the criminal justice field, Huntington County Community Schools Corporation Superintendent Chad Daugherty says the money will be going to good use.
Huntington County Community School Corporation
Daugherty says, “We have 13 advancement placement classes, 60 dual credit classes that will transfer to college, then we have the enlistment piece where students can be a part of the JROTC which will give them the leg-up to go to the military. Then, we have a learning center where we have half-day programs where students can get a skill."
Daugherty also says their partnerships have helped tremendously as well. He says, “We’ve partnered with Ivy Tech, Workforce Development, and Impact Institute where people can come back and get a high school equivalent degree after hours.”
Construction will begin on Jan. 1st, just in time for the 2021-2022 school year.
One of the many courses offered will be criminal justice and School Resource Officer Terry Stoffel says the change couldn’t come sooner.
Stoffel says, “We teach the dispatch program, we have a driving simulator that helps with bad driving conditions and driving emergency vehicles. We have a shoot or don’t shoot simulator which helps hone in skills to shoot or not and how to de-escalate a problem. I’ll have the room to do what I need to do. I have the tools, just not the room to do it.”
Tiffanney Drummond, the director of the learning center says their classes are for all ages who want to level up their skills.
Drummond says, “That will lead directly into jobs, it’ll help those who are currently working to upscale for industrial maintenance. It’ll help people develop new skills in what they’re looking for and that just leads to better-paying jobs for the people who take our courses.”
Mayor Richard Strick says no matter what route students decide to take, he’s proud that the community learning center will help them along the way.
Strick says, “University followed by a two-year program is not the road for everyone and military service, while it’s an avenue for many, there are many others that would benefit from other opportunities. We like to think of it as adding more options on the table for folks.”
