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TCAT Elizabethton highlights CTE expansion; Johnson County students and staff recognized
Summary
TCAT Elizabethton representatives praised Johnson County’s long-running dual-enrollment partnership during the April 15 board meeting, and the district recognized staff and a student elected to a state FFA office. The board also reviewed plans that will use CTE Perkins funds for a Kubota shop.
Johnson County school leaders and a vice president from TCAT Elizabethton used the April 15 board meeting to highlight career and technical education partnerships and to recognize district employees and students.
Richard Church, vice president of instruction at TCAT Elizabethton, told the board the technical college has expanded in recent years and has invested in local partnerships, naming Johnson County as a consistently top dual-enrollment partner. "As I stand here before you in the spring of '25, we have 2,100 students on 6 campuses and in 20 high schools in every high school in the region," Church said. He added the district had 153 high school students enrolled in TCAT programs at the Johnson County campus this semester.
At the meeting, Johnson County High School principal Dr. Long recognized three long-serving staff members — the main-building secretary, the CTE secretary/bookkeeper and the main-building bookkeeper — citing their daily support for school operations. The board presented tokens of appreciation and described CTE students' work, including charcuterie boards and other items produced in class.
Student Katie Lippert, an FFA member from Johnson County, described the state officer selection process and her role. "I believe it is 60 questions. And then you have a letter writing activity, and you also have 3 interviews... And after that, you have jobs for the next 3 days that are from about 8 in the morning to 8 at night," Lippert said of the contest process. Lippert said 30 students ran for the region's office and eight were selected statewide; she said she will use the role to "help boost agriculture" and advocate for related policies.
The board packet also included a CTE Perkins item the auditors asked be acknowledged; administrators said those grant funds will buy equipment for a new Kubota shop and reimburse some staff development. The packet did not specify dollar amounts for the Perkins funds during the meeting.
TCAT officials said the college has added programs including meat processing, cosmetology and off-road diesel, and highlighted a newly hired full-time staff person who lives in Johnson County and coordinates dual enrollment at the district site.
