By Karla McArthur, Correspondent
The Etowah County Career Technical Center and Etowah County Schools are expanding career and technical education opportunities for students across the district with new instructors, programs and facility upgrades.
The center welcomed two new team members this year: automotive instructor Darrell Huff and custodian Darlene Cecil.
Computer science continues to grow district-wide, with students in grades 7–12 enrolled in 498 courses across 11 campuses, including the career tech center. Beginning in fall 2025, earning a computer science credit will grant College and Career Readiness status. Starting with the Class of 2031, computer science will be a graduation requirement.
Beginning with the Class of 2026, all Alabama seniors must earn College and Career Readiness status to qualify for a high school diploma.
For fall 2025, 388 students are enrolled in dual-enrollment courses, working toward 1,644 credit hours through partnerships with the career tech center, Gadsden State Community College and online platforms.
A new 60-by-60-foot outdoor lab for welding and construction project-based learning is now under development. The project was made possible through support from Etowah County Schools Superintendent Alan Cosby, the Etowah County Board of Education, State Reps. Craig Lipscomb and Mack Butler, architect Trent Thrasher, and the teams at Trent Thrasher Construction and Butler Electrical.
New LED lighting and electrical upgrades were also completed in the automotive, collision repair, electrical and construction technology programs by Butler Electrical. Both the lighting project and the outdoor lab were funded through the lieutenant governor’s capital grant, totaling $450,000.
Career coaches Katie Davenport (Glencoe and Hokes Bluff), Collyn Prince (Gaston and Southside) and Ashton Ross (Sardis and West End) continue to work with students in grades 8–12 to develop career plans, prepare college applications and résumés, and connect with local industries.
Work-Based Learning Coordinator Walt Simmons oversees 270 juniors and seniors across six county high schools who earn course credits while gaining paid, real-world experience. In 2024–25, 365 students participated, logging 211,510 hours and earning more than $2 million collectively.
Career Quest Coordinator Barry Ryan has guided 50 graduates through the program over the past three years, with 23 seniors currently enrolled for 2025–26. Career Quest students earn academic credits online, may take career tech courses, and collectively earn about $31,000 each month through part-time work.
In 2024–25, students across the six Etowah County high schools earned 1,051 business- and industry-recognized credentials. Over the past four years, students have earned 2,268 credentials through 30 career tech programs offered at the career tech center and high schools.
For the Class of 2025, 75 percent of graduates earned at least one College and Career Readiness credential, contributing to a 97.11 percent district graduation rate, with 98.51 percent of graduates meeting readiness benchmarks.
Since July 2025, the district has submitted 10 career and technical education and College and Career Readiness-related grant applications totaling nearly $190,000. The proposed funds would support dual enrollment, ACT preparation, field trips, summer work-based learning, CTSO competition travel, credentialing exams and welding program costs.
One of those awards, a $37,088 Alabama Construction Industry Craft Training grant, will fund after-hours welding training for seniors, covering instructor wages, materials and credentialing expenses.
Career tech students continue to represent the district in statewide and national competitions. Six electrical and three precision machining students were accepted into Gadsden State’s FAME and COMET programs.
In SkillsUSA competitions, three career tech students medaled at the district level and advanced to state: Ryan Anderson (electrical), Trenton Owen (technical math) and Dax Pruitt (carpentry). At the state level, 21 students competed, earning gold, silver and bronze medals across multiple categories. Anderson, Lucas Wilson, Troy Moon and Alonzo Vasquez brought home gold medals, with Wilson, Moon and Vasquez later representing the center at the national competition in Atlanta.
Etowah County Schools continue to strengthen career readiness across all campuses, combining academic rigor with workforce training. Administrators extended appreciation to all business and industry partners for their continued support of career and technical programs at the career tech center and high school campuses throughout the county.
“An education that is workforce ready” remains the guiding mission for Etowah County Schools as they prepare students for success beyond graduation.
