Lincoln County superintendent outlines multi‑year plan to expand career and technical education

Superintendent Frank Barnett told the Lincoln County Schools Board of Education on Feb. 18 that the district will start three new CTE courses next school year and outlined a three‑year expansion that would add trades such as masonry, HVAC, electrical and barbering as Duval PreK‑8 opens and space becomes available.

Barnett said the district will convert an existing ProStart culinary classroom into a culinary program and use an on‑campus restaurant to support it. “We would have to do some replacement upgrades, so we’re looking at start up cost of about $5,000 and then approximately $45,000 for a teacher salary,” Barnett said.

The plan calls for an initial set of courses next fall: culinary (ProStart), a tourism and hospitality course drawing on social studies and agriculture staff, and a fiber‑optics pilot through the Career Workplace Skills Training (CWST) program. Barnett said the CWST pilot would start as a 10‑student partnership with Armstrong’s facility and that a certified teacher is already in place. He said a state grant would cover hard materials for the tourism program.

Why it matters: Board members focused on work readiness and local workforce needs. Barnett said the programs are intended to create employment pipelines to local employers such as Nucor and Alcon, and to supply skilled labor in trades where the county has shortages.

Details and timeline

• Year‑1 (next school year): add culinary/ProStart, tourism/hospitality and the CWST fiber‑optics pilot. Barnett said material startup costs for culinary are about $5,000 plus roughly $45,000 annually for a teacher’s salary; tourism materials would be covered by a grant.

• Year‑1 (after Duval opens): begin masonry using the former elementary gym and outdoor practice space; Barnett estimated materials at $10,000–$12,000 plus about $45,000 for a teacher.

• Year‑2: add heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and electrical programs. Barnett estimated roughly $25,000 in tools and equipment for HVAC start up and similar startup costs for electrical, with teacher salaries of about $45,000 each. He described seeking donations or partnerships to offset equipment costs.

• Year‑3: add barbering/cosmetology using split classrooms; barbering will require plumbing and electrical work for hand sinks and — per state licensing — two instructors.

Barnett described how programs can become self‑sustaining over time through Perkins and secondary block funding once course codes and enrollment are correct. He said the district fixed mismatched course codes in middle schools so those enrollments now count toward CTE funding.

Partnerships and work‑based learning

Barnett said he has met with Nucor and Alcon about workforce readiness skills, and described a three‑day SMART internship (resume and interview training) scheduled in March. He also said county employers and technical partners previously helped provide equipment and internship pathways in other districts, and he hopes to replicate those connections locally.

Board reaction and next steps

Board members supported emphasizing “soft skills” (interviewing, attendance, dependability) alongside technical instruction; one board member suggested a short, district‑wide module on interviewing for all vocational teachers to deliver. Barnett said the district is working on scheduling and will notify high‑school students this spring as plans firm up. He also noted the Marshall University direct‑admit memorandum of understanding (MOU) listed in administrative items as an additional postsecondary pathway the district will pursue.

Ending

Barnett framed the plan as funding‑dependent but achievable: initial start‑up costs would be modest relative to recurring teacher costs, and program viability should grow enrollments and state funding over time. He asked the board to consider partnerships and facility use changes that will follow the opening of Duval PreK‑8.