Sequoyah HS Principal Robert Van Alstyne gave School Board members and Administrative leaders a tour of the new Healthcare Science lab and classroom at Sequoyah HS, which launches a new career pathway at the school.  Here they listen as Laina Jordan talks about the new program, which is starting with three classes of Introduction to Healthcare Science this semester.

Note:  more photos from the tours can be viewed in our photo galleries here

School Board Members and CCSD administrative leadership this week toured two of the School District's latest facility improvement projects that are already in use enhancing student learning.  Board Chair Kyla Cromer, Vice Chair Kelly Poole and School Board Member Mike Chapman toured the new Healthcare Science lab at Sequoyah HS on Wednesday, followed by a walk-through of the new classroom addition at Mill Creek MS.  The Board Members concluded the morning with lunch at Woodstock MS, which has a new classroom wing in the early stages of construction.

The project at Sequoyah HS, located in the Sequoyah East facility, called for a renovation of more than 2,000 square feet of classroom space that formerly included a Family and Consumer Science area when the building was in use as a middle school.  The new space, which includes classroom space for 28 students along with an adjacent lab area that next week will be outfitted with three hospital/homecare beds and other medical training equipment, was completed under budget for $267,226 and funded through the Ed SPLOST penny sales tax.  This project allowed Sequoyah to launch a career pathway in healthcare science this year, where students who complete three years of the program are eligible to earn a variety of potential certifications while in high school.  Career Tech teacher Laina Jordan has three classes of Introduction to Healthcare Science students kicking off the program this semester.

Principal Matthew May, left, listens to Dr. Hightower as they begin the tour of the new Mill Creek MS classroom wing.

The 22-classroom addition at Mill Creek MS alleviated overcrowding at the school and provides the sixth grade classes with their own space.  The new wing also includes a Global Learning lab, additional science rooms, a new Family and Consumer Science lab.  As part of the project, the school's previous Family and Consumer Science lab was converted to a Healthcare Connections lab. The 40,000-square-foot project was $7.4 Million, which was paid for with Ed SPLOST funds and included a $1.9 Million reimbursement in State funding.

School Board Chair Kyla Cromer, Woodstock MS Principal Mike Santoro, Superintendent Dr. Brian Hightower and Board Vice Chair Kelly Poole enjoy lunch at Woodstock MS.