POCATELLO — Cameron Spalding, a senior at Pocatello High, had never sewn before taking a textiles class.
Now she plans to start her own apparel business.
“I really care about the environment, so I want to build a sustainable brand of garments,” Spalding said.
Spalding and her peers were showing off the Pocatello/Chubbuck School District’s new career technical education (CTE) center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday. The center, formally known as the Portneuf Valley Technical Education and Career Campus or PV-TEC, has been decades in the making.
“This is truly a dream come true,” said Rhonda Naftz, the district’s CTE coordinator. “This concept was born 25 years ago, and it’s taken us a long time, but this is one of those things that was definitely worth waiting for.”
The district purchased a former Allstate building in 2022 and began transforming it into a CTE center that offers students 21 pathways to choose from. Students can take classes in everything from culinary arts to veterinary technician to welding to drones.
“This is not your one-hour shop class where you’re learning hobby skills,” said Rep. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, who spoke at the event. “These students are really learning skills that will translate into college credit and career readiness for our employers here locally and all around Idaho.”
Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said the facility is a good example of tax dollars spent wisely, and with “oversight and accountability.”
“Today, we take another important step in affirming our commitment to public education, the system that we have here and the social compact that makes it possible,” Ruchti said.
The PV-TEC facility cost just under $21 million, Courtney Fisher, the district’s communications director, said. The facility was paid for through a combination of pandemic relief dollars, a state CTE grant, donations and the district’s general fund.
PV-TEC has come to fruition amid unprecedented investments into expanding CTE programs — a pet project of state superintendent Debbie Critchfield — and intentional statewide efforts to bolster the next generation of skilled workers.
Related: Check out EdNews’ series, The Trend toward Career Technical Education for more information on the push for CTE.
Hailey Green, a senior at Century High, said the new facility has “been amazing:” “We’ve got lots of new resources, lots of space, everything’s brand new.”
Green is earning her emergency medical technician (EMT) certification, and ultimately plans to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Natalie Astaldi is also a senior in the EMT program. Astaldi plans to become a firefighter, then a paramedic and ultimately a trauma surgeon.
Thursday, Astaldi was one of the 10 or so students giving tours of the new facility to community members.
Teacher Kristina Pasquella was formerly the executive director of the Pocatello Free Clinic, but now teaches classes ranging from health professions to medical law and ethics.
Before PV-TEC was built, CTE classes — and their teachers — were spread among three high schools. Pasquella said it’s nice to have all the CTE teachers in one place so they can collaborate with their peers more easily. Plus, many of them have come from industry to the classroom, so they can learn to teach together, she said.
“This facility will impact generations to come,” said Naftz, the CTE coordinator. “Long after I am out of my office and someone else is there, this building will stand and do amazing things … This is the building that is going to build our future.”
A photo tour of the new facility
Check out photos of PV-TEC classrooms, offering programs from EMT to veterinary technician to fashion and textiles:
The new building features CTE art and photos throughout:
A veterinary technician teacher and students show off their classroom:
