Johnson County board approves up to $548,340 to support county-built livestock processing facility, ties funding to CTE programs

The Johnson County Board of Education voted 4-1 on a motion Dec. 12 to assist Johnson County government with building a livestock processing facility by contributing up to $548,340 from CTE grant funds allocated to the school system.

The money is intended to support a county-built facility that school leaders said will serve a high-school career-and-technical-education (CTE) meat-science program and be paired with a cosmetology program. “Education is cheap,” said Mister Adams, the school staff member who presented the plan, arguing the facility would provide hands-on training and community benefit.

The vote came after roughly an hour of questions from board members about ownership, long-term operating costs, equipment and grant timing. Adams told the board the school system received a $1 million CTE allocation from the governor three years ago and that bids for the building returned at roughly $1.6 million. He said county grant money covers “a little over $1,000,000,” and that…