IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – Idaho Falls School District 91 plans to locate its new stand-alone Vocational and Technical Education Center in downtown Idaho Falls.
It will be in a building at 450 E St., which once housed the Deseret Industries store.
“It’s a great place,” said Superintendent Dr. Jim Shank. “It is ideally located in the heart of the city, which will make it easy for students to pursue CTE opportunities no matter where they live. “
D91 announced plans for a stand-alone CTE center in November. The center will house existing CTE programs currently scattered throughout school buildings across the district, such as Certified Nursing Assistants, Culinary Arts, EMT, and Computing, as well as new programs such as Construction and Trades, agriculture and horticulture.
“The CTE Center will be easily accessible to all high schools, including Ririe, Shelley and Firth. With city buildings, fire departments and local businesses nearby, students will be able to visit these sites without any special transportation, ”said Bobbie Crosser Finlayson, Vocational and Technical Education Coordinator for School Districts of Idaho Falls, Firth, Ririe and Shelley.
D91’s board of directors gave its initial approval to the project in November. Design work for the necessary improvements to the building is already underway. The project is expected to go to tender in late winter and early spring. Applications will then be submitted to the Board of Directors for final approval in the spring. If the board gives its final approval, work will begin immediately and the center is expected to open in fall 2022.
The district is leasing the over 30,000 square foot building until a permanent location for the CTE center is identified. This issue will likely be addressed as part of the district’s renewed efforts to develop a long-term facilities plan. Work on the facilities began in 2019 but was suspended in early 2020 with the start of the pandemic. The district is re-launching those efforts this month with a comprehensive community facility survey, which will give parents, clients and staff an opportunity to identify needs and priorities.
