Breaking Ground for Education

Southeast Kentucky Community and Technical College (SKCTC) recently held a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of the Educational Alliance Center on the Middlesboro campus.

The event included remarks from SKCTC president Dr. Lynn Moore, KCTCS President Jay Box, Middlesboro Mayor Bill Kelly, Bell County Judge Executive Albey Brock, State Representative Rick Nelson, Donna McClure of Senator Mitch McConnells office, and local fundraising chairs Mike and Jamie Bowling.

The Southeast Educational Alliance Center is the top capital project for SKCTC and is close to becoming a reality with a construction cost of $10 million. In 2014, the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky allowed, for the first time, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) the capability to issue agency bonds in order to construct new capital projects at each of the sixteen community colleges in the state. These bonds will fund 75% of the construction cost and each college must raise the remaining 25%. Southeast is still working to fulfill the $2.5 million match.

The two-story building will contain space for the nursing program, a large meeting space that can be divided up into additional classrooms, general classrooms and a dedicated space for training simulators as part of a partnership with Eastern Kentucky University to offer baccalaureate programs.

The project is being designed by Clotfelter-Samokar Architects of Lexington, KentuckY. Construction is expected to begin in the upcoming months with the facility anticipated to be open by Fall of 2018.