The Bradley County Board of Education voted 7-0 on Oct. 16 to commit $300,000 over two years toward building a Junior Achievement (JA) Inspiration Hub at the PIE Center.

The board approved $150,000 for the 2025–26 school year and $150,000 for 2026–27 after a presentation by Melissa Presswood, who said the hub would give elementary, middle and high school students hands-on experiences in financial literacy, business operations and career exploration. Presswood said the district has applied for a $500,000 grant from the Archer Charitable Foundation and is pursuing other private foundation funding.

The hub will host programs such as JA BizTown for elementary students and simulated career and budgeting activities for middle and high school students, Presswood told the board. "For elementary students, it's BizTown. They'll get to be part of a simulated community or town where they each have a job and they get to be part of that community and experience what it's like," Presswood said.

Nut graf: Supporters said the hub is intended to bridge classroom learning with workplace skills and local business connections, and district officials said board matching funds improve the district's competitiveness for foundation grants.

Director of Schools Linda Cash told trustees the money proposed for the hub is available. "These are funds that came in after the budget was passed from the state department," Cash said. "It is money that is there and available for use. It also helps with grant writing because they look for matches." Cash said matching funds strengthen grant applications and that the district expects grant awards to be worth about $500,000 or more each.

Presswood and other board members described the hub as a multiuse facility serving all grade levels, with JA programming that includes career simulations, postsecondary planning tools and employer partnerships. Board members discussed the project's estimated total cost; Presswood told the board the project estimate is about $1,500,000 and that the board's $300,000 pledge would be a portion of that total.

A board member moved the funding motion and another trustee seconded it; the motion passed on a 7-0 roll call. Liz (board clerk) recorded the vote.

Clarifying details from the meeting: the district is seeking a $500,000 Archer Charitable Foundation grant as part of the funding plan; the board's $300,000 commitment is split evenly over two fiscal years; district officials said the matching funds come from state monies received after the budget was adopted.

Ending: Trustees also announced a public “lunch and learn” about the innovation hub at 11 a.m. Oct. 23 at the PIE Center to give community members and potential local supporters more information about the project.