OZARK — The sound of 10 gold shovels clinking against sun-baked dirt Wednesday afternoon marked a milestone for Dale County Schools as ground was broken on a $1.2 million expansion to the two-year-old career tech center. Called the Bridge Academy—because it bridges students and careers—the two-year-old state-of-the-art career tech center on Highway 231 in Ozark is now 200 students strong and bursting at the seams. Dale County Schools Superintendent Ben Baker welcomed school officials, civic and business leaders, and a bevy of beauty queens to the official groundbreaking for the facility, which marks the 12th multimillion-dollar project the school system has embarked on in eight years. It is expected to open its doors in March.
“Our board of education have a vision to provide the absolute best for our students and they have truly bought into Bridge Academy because it truly is making a difference in the lives of children and that’s what we are here to do,” said Baker. “The goal of Bridge Academy is to provide students with job skills for employment prior to leaving high school and to provide employers with skilled workers.” DCBA is a joint effort between the Dale County Board of Education, Enterprise State Community College, Alabama Aviation College, Wallace Community College, and local businesses and industries, he said.
The Bridge Academy is a non-profit organization that provides free educational opportunities to students in underserved communities. It aims to bridge the gap between education and employment by equipping students with the skills and knowledge necessary for success in the workforce. The Bridge Academy’s mission is to empower students to become self-sufficient and independent.
“What we do here is life-changing for these students because it’s creating an opportunity,” Baker said. “With the new classrooms, lab, and office space we’re going to make sure that no one is left out and that everyone has an opportunity.” Baker thanked Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth for the grant that made the expansion possible, and state Senators Donnie Chesteen and Josh Carnley and state Representatives Steve Clouse and Marcus Paramore for their support of the project. He also thanked Wallace Community College, the Alabama Aviation College, and Enterprise State Community College for their partnership. “Because of them we can offer a dual enrollment program where our students earn college credit at the same time they get high school credit, and it costs them zero.”
“This property has transformed from an abandoned National Guard Armory into this state-of-the-art career training facility for our high school kids,” said Lisa Welch, Career Tech Director for Dale County Schools. “And we couldn’t be prouder of that. “Two years into our Bridge Academy, we started to realize we needed to expand and that’s why we’re here today,” Welch said thanking the superintendent, board of education, and community partners for their vision and support. “Our students are going into the communities and workforce career ready–and they are making a tremendous difference.”
