Orange County Public Schools broke ground Monday on a project decades in the making.
The career and technical education (CTE) center, officially dubbed the Hornet Innovation Center, is officially underway. The approximately 35,000 square feet building located adjacent to the softball field in the rear of the high school grounds will expand on the school division’s existing CTE programs while freeing up space in the high school for other classes. The center is expected to take into account the school division’s needs including one nursing classroom and lab space; one culinary arts classroom and lab space with a teaching kitchen; two agricultural classrooms and two labs including an outdoor covered work area and a welding lab; a carpentry and masonry classroom with lab scape accommodating both programs and an outdoor covered work area; an HVAC and plumbing classroom with a lab space accommodating both programs with an outdoor covered work area; an electrical classroom with a lab space with an outdoor covered work area; an automotive classroom with an outdoor covered work area and at least two bays; one technical education classroom with a lab space; one cybersecurity lab space; one computer science classroom; one robotics lab space and areas for an administrative office, reception area and teacher work space. Renderings released in April include dedicated space for the culinary program, building trades, metal fabrication and welding, health professions, automotive, cyber security, technical education and more.
During Monday’s ceremony, those renderings were brought to life with the floor plan drawn on the grass of the construction site. Guests were able to walk the area and get a feel for what the future building will entail.
The new facility has been a long time coming. In 2009, a taskforce was formed to study career and technical education. That taskforce created a study which was endorsed by the school board and led to a conceptual design that was released in 2011. The $15.3 million two-story concept never came to fruition. However, the conversation was reignited in 2023 and earlier this year, the Orange County School Board entered into an interim agreement with Gilbane, a Richmond-based firm which is collaborating with RRMM Architects and Timmons Group, utilizing a Public-Private Education Facilities and Infrastructure Act of 2022 (PPEA).
Earlier this month, the Orange County Board of Supervisors adopted a resolution to obtain a direct bank loan through a lease revenue bond issued by the Economic Development Authority, a common structure that is utilized by localities. The $20.8 million Atlantic Union Bank loan has a fixed interest rate of 4.45% over 20 years. The county is expected to pay approximately $11.7 million in debt service over the life of the loan, $159,317 less than originally anticipated. The debt service payments have already been factored into future county budgets. That number could also decrease should the county pre-pay the loan or refinance it. The terms allow for both without penalty. The $20.8 million will be the bulk of the financing for the approximately $23 million innovation center. An additional $2.2 million is being funded through a school construction grant.
“For many years we talked about career and technical education, and talked about career and technical education and talked about career and technical education,” Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Dan Hornick said Monday. “That streak is ending and we are beginning to take action.”
He said the project was made possible through the “tireless efforts” of many who helped move the ball down the field including previous school board members and superintendents, including Dr. Bob Grimesey who was present for the groundbreaking ceremony. Grimesey served as superintendent from 2009 to 2014.
“It’s wonderful to see how things have continued to evolve,” he said. “This is an example of the community putting children first.”
Hornick agreed, saying the facility is an investment in not only students, but also economic development. He said students will enter the workforce with job-ready skills that will sustain the local economy into the future.
“This will not be just some shiny new building,” District 5 Supervisor and board chair Bryan Nicol added. “It will serve as a catalyst for bringing educational opportunities to high school students who desire to gain certifications and hands-on experience and critically needed technical careers. This groundbreaking will establish a community resource and a lifelong learning facility for generations in Orange County.”
School board vice chairman Jack Rickett said his mother, Judy Carter, would have loved to see the center come to fruition. Carter served on the Orange County School Board for 21 years and was passionate about career and technical education. She passed away in 2018 following a recurring cancer battle.
“Over her two decades of service to our community, she always fought for our children and their educational opportunities,” Rickett said. “Even though she is not with us today, I know she’s looking down and celebrating with us. [Career and technical education] was a passion for her, but she was taken before she could see this to fruition.”
While the ceremonial groundbreaking was held Monday, actual site work will likely begin in September. Hornick said the facility will take approximately a year to complete with its opening slated for the 2027-28 school year.
For more information about the project, visit https://www.ocss-va.org/departments/facilities-maintenance/capital-projects/ctefacility.
