May completion date eyed for Corbin Career Center addition

Construction on the Corbin Career Center, which will house carpentry and HVAC programs, is progressing with a tentative May completion date.

At the recent regular monthly meeting of the Corbin Independent Board of Education, Superintendent Dave Cox updated the board on the project under construction on the Corbin High School campus.

Cox said the steel is in and the building is almost under roof.

“The steel was delayed three different times,” Cox said noting that the original completion date was in March.

“We are not in any jeopardy on our September starting date,” he said.

The board initially authorized the project in August 2020.

The building, under construction near the bus loop, will include two classrooms along with labs.

“We don’t have space to add these programs at the ATC (Corbin Area Technology Center),” Cox said when the project was announced.

Cox told the board Thursday that the teaching positions have drawn interest with two potential carpentry teachers and two potential HVAC teachers coming to the central office.

“Nothing has been formalized yet,” Cox said. “They just came in to inquire about the positions. The good news is that three of the four are experienced teachers.”

“My biggest worry was finding teachers,” Cox said.

Cox said all of the programs at the ATC are doing well in terms of the number of students they serve.

“Four of the five programs are maxed out with students on a waiting list,” Cox said. “There was a time when we were having trouble getting students.”

In other business Thursday the board:

• Accepted the Kentucky School Facilities Construction Commission’s offer of assistance in the amount of $29,181.

Cox said the funding is offered by the state every two years based on the district’s unmet construction needs.

While the funds can’t be put toward on-going construction, there is no timeframe for it to be used.

“That is bondable money,” Cox said noting that the final amount would be based on the bond interest rate at the time of the bond sale for the project.

• Authorized the superintendent to determine surplus property valued under $500.

• Appointed Cox as the board secretary.

The term will run for four years through January 2026.

• Authorized a request to use funds from the School Security Grant to purchase locks for Corbin High School, primarily for the gym.

Cox said the initial grant was for $85,000 and approximately $6,000 of it remains to be spent before September.

• Cox announced that new bleachers will be installed on the lower level behind the players benches beginning next week.

“Those are the original bleachers from 1974,” Cox said.

The bleachers will be removed next week and the new ones installed the following week.

Corbin is slated to host the 50^th District Basketball tournaments this year.

Announced welding instructor Adam Hoskins as the recipient of the January Difference Maker Award.

Hoskins, who was teaching a welding class, was unable to attend the board meeting to receive the plaque.