State-of-the-art career tech center is cornerstone of Edwards’ vision for Dothan High’s campus

A multimillion state-of-the-art career tech facility is the cornerstone of a five-year facility plan Superintendent Phyllis Edwards introduced to the school board Thursday.

“It’s always been a high priority,” she said. “Looking at it as a big picture for our school’s programs, I believe it could be a beacon for the city.”

Edwards introduced the plan as a possibility for the school system and a discussion item for the school board.

The first phase of a seven-phase plan is to design the proposed center to rehome all of the career technology programs, except culinary arts, to a new site in front of the school to the right of the main entrance and renovating the convocation center.

Classroom space for each program will be larger than current available space and the new center will be built in such a way that a second story could be added if enrollment increases significantly or if new programs are added.

Outside of the building, a natural sloping landscape provides potential for an outdoor learning environment beside a terrace.

“This phase includes all of the most-needed things for the school,” Raleigh Price, architect for SS&L, said. “It’s a prime piece of property the school already owns. It provides an opportunity to bring that image, to bring branding to the front of the school because of its position on 431.”

The initial price estimate for the package is $15 million.

Later components of the proposal include renovating existing Dothan Technology Center classrooms to create a 9th grade academy, constructing a new fine arts building on the back of the convocation center, expanding classrooms and cafeteria for the main building, building a new science wing, building the final portion of the new Dothan Tech center to house the culinary arts program and multipurpose spaces, and a new sports complex complete with a 8,000-seat football and soccer stadium, tennis courts, and practice fields behind the school.

Some smaller phases cost $5 million, while all other phases range from $15-$22 million with the most expensive part being the sports complex. The estimated cost to implement the entire plan is around $103 million.

Edwards said the plan is a proactive approach to improving the quality of education for all students and preparing for increased enrollment in coming years.

“We don’t have the money to do this,” she said during the meeting. “You have to first put the vision in play. Then, we would like nothing more for this to become a reality.”

Talking to board members, she sounded hopeful to be able to do the first phase relatively soon with roughly $10.5 million in bond money from the state government slated for capital improvement projects to be allocated in a few months.

She is not sure where the other money would come from, but said she is hopeful her vision is something the community can get behind.

The career tech center has been one of Edwards’ to-do’s since taking the helm of the school system and Dothan Mayor Mark Saliba has previously backed her idea during an interview with the Eagle, saying he believes the center needs to continue to grow and develop, emphasizing the critical need to grow the workforce locally.