AHS is currently searching for a new industrial tech teacher, but for the time being, Roger Warne, ACSD Director of Technology, is teaching drafting and woodworking. “Mr. Warne is covering for two classes for us while we are looking for someone to fill the industrial tech position,” principal Heather McKay said. 

According to McKay, the district superintendent Steve Barber wants to go to Wayne State College and William Penn University to see if anybody is a soon to be graduate to fill the position.

“I reached out to many different colleges to see who’s available for the job,” McKay said. “We are trying to solve the issue and get the position filled. The district purchased the CCEOC building, and this would allow us to have bigger tech classes, and bigger rooms for bigger projects, but we didn’t fill the position.” 

Former industrial tech student Derek Dreager is “very frustrated” that the position didn’t get filled, while Brandon Thompson “doesn’t care” that the position didn’t get filled.

However, the CCEOC building is being used for many different activities, such as sports practices. The CCEOC students have also built projects with their teacher Justin Williams. “The building isn’t sitting empty. We have people use the building all of the time,” McKay said. Williams and the CCEOC students built a shed for the Little League complex last spring.

According to Beacon, an online public records resource, the district purchased the building for $925,000 on July 17, 2017. The remodeling cost $400,000, which put the building total investment at $ 1.3 million, according to the Atlantic News Telegraph. However, the district will save $50,000 a month for rent. “I was not involved in the conversation on whether or not to purchase the building,” McKay said.

At this time the plans to use the CCEOC building for industrial technology classes are on hold until a teacher is found, McKay said. The building is being used, but the district wants to fill the industrial tech teaching position to get full use out of the investment.