‘Showing What’s Possible’

Center Now Open

With enthusiastic applause and a ceremonial snip of the ribbon, local officials officially opened the Rockbridge Innovation Center last Thursday. A modernized and expanded career and technical education (CTE) hub, the Innovation Center replaces the former Floyd S. Kay Vocational Center and marks a major investment in the region’s future workforce.

Held at the newly completed facility adjacent to Rockbridge County High School, the ribbon-cutting drew school leaders, local officials, contractors and community members to celebrate a project years in the making. After a series of remarks from key partners, guests were invited to tour the building at their leisure. Student-made cookies and refreshments, courtesy of the school’s culinary program, added a warm touch to the event.

“This is more than the opening of a cutting-edge educational facility,” said Rockbridge County Public Schools Superintendent Phillip Thompson at the start of his speech. “It marks the beginning of new opportunities for growth, collaboration and creativity across our entire region.”

Thompson noted that approximately 71 percent of Rockbridge County High School students currently participate in CTE programs — far above average. “That’s huge,” he said. “And we’re hoping that number only increases.”

The project was made possible by a wide coalition of support, including substantial funding from the Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors, support from Lexington City Schools and Council, and more than $2.4 million in state funding secured through the General Assembly’s school construction assistance program. The audience applauded Delegates Ellen Campbell, who was in attendance, and Terry Austin, who was unable to make it, for their hard work in securing that funding.

Thompson also thanked the Rockbridge County Public Schools Foundation for raising more than $500,000 in private donations, over halfway to a $1 million goal, to help equip the building with new technology and tools. “We wanted to build the best possible facility with the budget we had,” he said. “The foundation helped us accelerate the timeline for actually outfitting it.”

The building combines a major renovation of the old vocational center with brandnew construction, creating space for a wide range of programs, from EMT and culinary arts to welding, animal care, construction and mechanical repair. “This is a strong building,” Thompson said. “The original was here for 50 years. I want this one to be here for at least 50 more, and I have no doubt it will be.”

Rockbridge County School Board Chair Kathy Burant brought a deeply personal perspective, recalling how she attended the 2022 groundbreaking on a walker just weeks after hip surgery. “I’m happy to say I’m fully recovered,” she said, “but this building is what really experienced all the exciting changes.”

Burant, a retired CTE educator herself, paid tribute to the generations of teachers, administrators and students who shaped vocational education in the region. Inside the center’s vestibule and community room, guests were invited to view photo displays documenting the facility’s history since its opening in 1976, a project organized by local students in collaboration with the Rockbridge Historical Society.

“Our goal is to feel inspired by the past and to innovate for the future,” Burant said.

She also highlighted major contributions from local partners, including the Claude Moore Foundation and the Odd Fellows, who supported the health sciences and firefighting programs, respectively. “Our teachers even helped design their own program spaces,” she added. “Do you realize what a unique opportunity that was?”

Lexington City Schools Superintendent Rebecca Walters added her own reflection — one rooted in lived experience.

“As a student from Natural Bridge Elementary, I took classes in this very building in the 1980s,” Walters said. “From the original Floyd S. Kay Vocational Center to this beautiful, functional and innovative center we celebrate today, I’ve seen firsthand how vision, collaboration and hard work can transform a space.

“This center will offer increased opportunities for learning, engagement and collaboration to the 900-plus students at Rockbridge County High School,” she continued.

Walters emphasized that the facility represents more than just infrastructure: “It symbolizes a community’s commitment to preparing our students not only for college or a career, but for life — with real-world skills, confidence and a clear sense of purpose.”

Nathan Harper, principal and director of design at Spectrum Design, offered insight into the design process, which began with a community- wide survey that drew more than 200 responses from students, parents, teachers and alumni.

“This place really is a beacon of career and technical education,” Harper said. “What makes it so unique is not just the architecture — it’s the culture of support that surrounds it. That’s what drives participation, and that’s what drives impact.”

Harper said the design team took community input seriously from the beginning. Early in the process, they issued a survey asking respondents to share their hopes and priorities for the new space. The comments, he said, were both practical and passionate — and served as a compass throughout the project.

He read aloud several that stuck with him: “‘Integrate CTE with the rest of the building, not just an extension.’ ‘The remodel should include ways in which to highlight the programs we have.’ ‘Take advice from the class teachers. They are the professionals in the industry and know what is needed for students to succeed.’ ‘This vo-tech serves the whole county. Make sure you serve us with something we can be proud of.’” And Harper’s favorite comment, read with a smile: “Don’t make it feel like an abandoned hospital, please.”

He said that that comment became something of a running joke, but it was also a serious reminder that students wanted a space that felt alive, modern and integrated into the rest of the school.

“These voices were always in the back of our minds,” he said. “This was never just about function. It was about belonging, identity and pride.” Harper praised the collaborative spirit of the project, calling it a true team effort between Spectrum Design, KNA Contracting and Rockbridge County school leaders, and looking ahead to the employment impact the facility will have. “These are good, high-paying jobs that will stand the test of time,” he said. “And this facility is built to support them.”

For KNA Contracting President Kelly Alderman, the project was more than a construction job; it was a chance to give back.

“We take great pride in all our K–12 projects across southwest Virginia and North Carolina,” he said, “especially CTE-focused facilities.”

Alderman underscored the growing need for skilled workers in trades and technical fields — a gap the new Innovation Center is poised to help fill. “Those learning at this facility will gain the knowledge and skills needed to set themselves up for a bright, secure future,” he said.

Rockbridge County Board of Supervisors Chair Leslie Ayers closed the ceremony by framing the Innovation Center as a space that reflects the community’s shared values: openness, opportunity, and collaboration.

“The center enhances our capacity to train a skilled workforce and gives our students greater access to meaningful careers,” Ayers said. “But this space goes beyond education alone.”

Ayers praised the building’s design for encouraging connection rather than separation, and highlighted a new partnership with the Rockbridge Community Health Center, which now operates a school-based clinic on-site. The clinic provides health and dental services to students and community members, helping families access care without missing work or school.

“It’s a powerful example of how thoughtful design and community partnerships can truly support families,” she said.

In closing, Ayers thanked the administrators, teachers and staff who kept the school running during construction. “You made it look easy, but we know it wasn’t,” she said. “You handled it with grace, skill and unwavering commitment.”

As guests explored the newly finished classrooms, trades labs and student-designed learning spaces, the mood was celebratory: not just for a building completed, but for a vision realized.

“With the Rockbridge Innovation Center now open,” Superintendent Thompson said as he ended the speeches and got the scissors ready, “we’re not just preparing students for the workforce, we’re showing them what’s possible.”