TSC Chamber celebrates SCHS’s grand opening of new CTAE wing

The Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce celebrated the grand opening of the newly renovated and redesigned CTAE Wing at Stephens County High School with a ribbon tying ceremony.

Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce President Julie Paysen says a Ribbon Tying Ceremony symbolizes a community surrounding a local business or organization in support of the services it provides.

Stephens County School Superintendent Dr. Daniel Oldham welcomed the large group that gathered at the high school and thanked the community for its support of the new CTAE wing.

“On behalf of the Stephens County Board of Education I would like to welcome you to the grand opening of the new CTAE facility and its dedication for the upcoming school year. Before we get started, I would just like to say ‘thank you for coming,’ this turnout is just amazing. I want to say ‘thank you for your support,’ this would not be possible without the state’s support, but also local support. Things like this are payed for with SPLOST dollars. For that investment, we can not repay you,” he said.

Director of Career, Technical, and Agricultural Education for the Georgia Department of Education Dr. Barbara Wall spoke about the significance of Stephens County High School’s CTAE program.

“It is my honor to bring greetings to you from the Georgia Department of Education. This facility is beautiful. I’ve heard that the teachers had some input in designing their labs and classrooms. Thank you for letting our teachers do that. It’s incredible,” Wall said.

Paysen told the group that it is rare to find a school system in rural Georgia with such a state-of-the-art facility.

Stephens County High School offers 12 different pathways for its students allowing them to receive certification in a variety of fields prior to graduating high school.

With those certifications many students are able to enter the workforce as soon as they graduate.