Career tech programs return to remodeled RHS building

RUSSELLVILLE — Students at Russellville High School returned from winter break last week to a newly remodeled and expanded Career Technical Education building, the result of a project designed to increase classroom space, modernize labs and support the school’s growing technical and workforce programs.

The remodeling and expansion began Nov. 1, 2023, and passed final inspection in November 2025.

Teachers used the final weeks of the fall semester to move into the space and prepare for classes to begin the second semester.

Dr. AnnaKay Holland, director of Career Technical Education, said the project reflects both growth in student interest and a shift in how high schools prepare students for life after graduation.

“We now offer 17 different career tech programs, and more than 90% of our students take two or more CTE classes during their high school career,” Holland said. “This building allows us to support that demand and expand opportunities in a way we could not before.”

The project added five classrooms and expanded lab space. It includes new locker rooms and changing areas for welding and health science students.

The original building was also reconfigured to better support hands-on instruction, technology needs and safety requirements.

The renovated facility now houses most of the school’s engineering, computer science, cybersecurity, business, building and construction, drafting, HVAC, welding, fire science and health science programs.

CONTRIBUTED/DAN BUSEY
The remodeling and expansion of the Career Technical Education building at Russellville High added five classrooms and expanded lab space, new locker rooms and changing areas for welding and health science students. The original building was also reconfigured to better support hands-on instruction, technology needs and safety requirements.

Family and consumer science and agriscience remain in their existing buildings.

JROTC is scheduled to move into a remodeled administrative building later this semester.

Holland said the additional space allows the school to grow both existing programs and new offerings.

“We added a dedicated fire science and public safety lab, which now includes on-site equipment and a small fire truck, and we expanded welding with additional booths,” she said.

“We also added lab space that allows us to offer more dual enrollment courses in engineering and building and construction.”

Russellville partners with Northwest Shoals Community College to offer dual enrollment opportunities through CTE.

Last year, 22 students completed associate degrees before graduating from high school, Holland said, and the number continues to grow.

“Students are no longer choosing between college and career tech,” she said. “They combine both to build a pathway that fits them.”

Superintendent Dr. Tim Guinn said the facility represents an investment in student choice and long-term workforce needs.

“Our goal is to give students opportunities to explore different professions and prepare for what comes next, whether that is college, the workforce or technical training,” Guinn said. “Career technical education plays an important role in that.”

Teachers who worked out of temporary and scattered classrooms during construction said the return to a centralized space has already made a difference.

Gabe Willis, who teaches drafting and computer-aided design, said the updated infrastructure better supports technology-based instruction.

“Technology had outgrown the old building,” Willis said. “Now we have the wiring, the power and the equipment to teach the way these programs require. It makes a big difference for students.”

Students are also beginning to see the difference in their classrooms.

In the fire science program, senior Tony Ambrosio Flores said he enrolled last semester to explore the field and quickly found it meaningful.

“I’m thinking about doing fire science as a career,” Flores said. “I like putting on the gear and learning how to protect people.”

Senior Coban James said he returned to in-person classes specifically to take the program.

“I feel like it’s a very honorable job,” James said. “It’s something different, and I’m loving it.”

In health science, senior Emmy Green said the new lab space allows students to explore career interests more fully.

“It gives us more opportunities to learn,” Green said. “I’m just seeing what I like right now.”

Senior Aidyn Marshall said she plans to attend the University of North Alabama in order to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner.

Dr. Stephanie Oliver, who teaches health science and oversees student internships, said the improved facilities allow students to practice skills in settings that more closely resemble real workplaces.

Russellville City Schools Career Coach Alissa Moore said the new building supports both planning and participation.

“The waiting was worth it,” Moore said. “The building is spectacular.”

Holland said the biggest impact may be that students can now see and experience the programs more easily.

“When everything was spread out, students could not always see what we offered,” she said. “Now they walk through the building and ask questions. That curiosity matters.”

She said the goal is not just enrollment but alignment.

“We want students to find something they are good at and something they enjoy,” Holland said. “This building helps us do that.”