The Hillsborough County School Board voted unanimously on Aug. 26 to name the new Plant City Career Technical College after former Plant City mayor Rick Lott.

Board members voted by secret ballot after staff described the community nomination process and the candidates. The superintendent announced the tabulation: five votes for Rick Lott and one vote for Dr. Sylvia Cantrell Albritton. The board then moved to codify the result; Member Gray made the motion and Member Rendon seconded it. The codifying motion passed unanimously.

The naming process was governed by board policy 72-50, “Commemoration of School Facilities,” which sets criteria that include honoring educators, outstanding citizens or groups that aided establishment of a facility. District staff said the public nomination window ran July 7–25 and produced 1,471 total recommendations representing 203 unique names; 47% of submissions came from Plant City ZIP codes. Staff told the board 686 recommendations originated from within Plant City and that recommendations were solicited through social media, local media, the district website and outreach to Plant City civic leaders.

Supporters who spoke during the meeting urged the board to pick either candidate. Dr. Bobby Smith, speaking for a community group, recommended Dr. Sylvia Cantrell Albritton, citing her nearly 50 years in Hillsborough County Public Schools in roles including teacher, principal and career-and-technical education director. A coalition of Plant City elected officials and business leaders — including Plant City Vice Mayor Jason Jones and Mayor Nate Kilton — urged the board to select Rick Lott, saying he had championed workforce and technical programs in Plant City for more than a decade and had been instrumental in securing land and partnerships for the project.

Board members who supported Lott described him as a community leader and entrepreneur with long involvement in Plant City workforce initiatives and asked the district to confirm the official style for the new name. Superintendent Van Ayers read a statement from Vice Chair Karen Perez in which she called Lott “a steadfast champion for our students and a driving force behind the development and growth of the Plant City community.” The board recorded that Mayor Lott asked the district to use the informal form “Rick Lott Technical College” as the official name.

What the board approved at the Aug. 26 meeting was the name; subsequent administrative steps will add the name to district records and signage and incorporate it into facility documents. The superintendent said classrooms at the site (1690 East Park Road) will open for adult-education offerings in the coming months and high-school career-technical courses in January 2026.

Board members also emphasized that other strong nominees remain in the record for future recognition and that the district will follow up on implementation details for signage and dedication events.