Mount Ayr career academy moves forward
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In 2022, Southwestern Community College in Creston received a $1 million grant from the state’s Career Academy Incentive Fund to increase access to career academy programs in high-demand fields through new regional centers, including one in Mount Ayr.
At that time, the project stalled.
However, in minutes from the February meeting of the SWCC board of directors, college chief financial officer Brandi Shay reported that through recent conversations, Mount Ayr Community Schools, Ringgold County Development, and Southwestern have decided to move the initiative forward. With the project, SWCC will provide career academy programming to Mount Ayr, Diagonal, Bedford, Central Decatur, and Lamoni school district students. Students in partnering school districts will benefit from industry partnerships, earn high school and college credit and gain technical and traditional academic skills offered through career and technical education (CTE) programs.
Mount Ayr superintendent Jason Shaffer has stated the next step in getting the project off the ground is contracting with an architect, who will then provide design recommendations, estimate costs, and put the building out for bids. The district already has three architectural firms lined up for interviews.
The proposed career academy building will sit on what is now the football practice field south of the junior high parking lot and west of the bus barn. Shaffer estimates the building should be ready to accept students by the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.
“Iowa is investing in its future through the Career Academy Incentive Fund. High school students across the state gain valuable experience, skills, and credentials that will not only help shape their futures, but will also build the next generation of workers in our communities,” Gov. Kim Reynolds said.
Career academies play an important role in expanding access to high-demand and often capital-intensive career and technical education (CTE) programs for Iowa’s students. Valuable skill development, career exploration, work-based learning, and professional training for high-demand careers are provided through career academies.
“Through the critical work-based learning infrastructure these grants support, learners across Iowa are attaining industry-recognized credentials and college credit while in high school,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “We commend these secondary, postsecondary, and industry partners for their leadership in connecting the classroom to the workplace, empowering all students with multiple pathways to high-wage and public-good careers.”
Established in 2019, the Career Academy Incentive Fund is supported by a statewide penny sales tax for school infrastructure, called Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE). Through the Career Academy Incentive Fund, students in partnering school districts will earn industry-recognized credentials and high school and college credit, while gaining technical and academic skills through CTE programs aligned with business and industry.
