Macon County Schools’ CTE program makes graduates an attractive hiring choice to many local businesses.
Superintendent Josh Lynch gave an update on the school system and the Career and Technical Education program at the Franklin Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs and Issues Business Forum on Sept. 5. Lynch and teacher Penny Moffitt highlighted the program’s multiple pathways and the opportunities students have to gain valuable work experience.
“All the academic opportunities our students can take part of really sets them on a path of success and allows them to explore what their future is going to look like.” Lynch said. “Our curriculum and experiences that we provide for our students are very enriching. They are broad reaching … not just English, math, science and social studies.”
Lynch said from middle to high school Macon County students have a wide range of chances to explore passions and interests through the CTE program and through career fairs that give them a less abstract and more tangible sense of what their futures could look like. In testing these interests, they have an opportunity to realize what does and does not work for them in a safe environment before depending on a paycheck.
“Some of [the students’ experiments] fail,” Lynch said, “but they really kind of home in on those other interest areas and usually by high school we can put them on a pathway that allows them to understand ‘OK, this is what my future’s going to be like’ and we give them those really vast internships … that really help them build on that interest level.”
Discussing a former student as an example, Moffitt said, “He knew that he wanted to go into construction management, so that conversation started in the sophomore year. In his junior year, he took Project Management I, learned the curriculum. We were able to get him into Franklin High School Projects and Student Leadership; he wanted to take that level two class. He earned his project ready management certification. Then he moved on to advanced study.”
Moffitt added, “I have talked to him since then, the knowledge he gained and the experiences he made in that class have been very helpful at Clemson.”
Lynch said the program is useful to students as well as businesses. If companies hire students with CTE training and credentials, those companies then do not have to put the same work and capital into training those students.
“Our CTE program is one of our gems to be commended for what it provides for the county in terms of economic development,” Lynch said. Having students who are able to graduate high school with certain credentials that make them industry leaders is such an opportunity not only for a student population but for Macon County as a whole.”
Planning for the future
Lynch also discussed ongoing investment in the school system’s growth, enabling the system to offer more for students.
The new Franklin High School building is expected to be online in 2027, with construction technically ending in early 2028 with the demolition of the old buildings. The new building is set to add extra space for CTE classrooms.
Highlands School renovations are complete, with a two-story addition including four classrooms and allowing the school to offer pre-K to help to meet the childcare needs of the community. The renovations also added a playground for pre-K students, an outdoor classroom and extra office space.
Macon Middle School got upgrades with a new running track and improved drainage at the field. A renovation to the Nantahala Wastewater Treatment Plant has been completed, allowing it to stay in service without a total reconstruction. Lynch mentioned that East Franklin Elementary School is due for an update.
“We’re going to have to determine what that looks like in the future. Along with our county commissioners and business folks like you, we’ll have an opportunity to really be involved in that and where we’re headed. That is exciting.”