The acquisition of the Somerset Community College Clinton Center, which would become the new home of not only the Clinton County Area Technology Center, but Central Office and other facilities, continued its move forward last week after a series of meetings of the school board and recently appointed Local Planning Committee (LPC).

The board of education, during a call meeting earlier last week, approved the LPC, as well as moving forward in amending the District Facility Plan to take in the SCC-Clinton Center, which the school district is in negotiations of purchasing.

The local planning committee’s approval of the amended plan, as well as public hearings, is a step in the process that is required by the Kentucky Department of Education to complete and approve the transaction between the local school district and SCC.

The Local Planning Committee met last Thursday evening, which was chaired by committee vice-chairman Sheldon Harlan and moderated by Tim Eaton, a consultant from the Kentucky School Board Association.

Eaton and Clinton County Schools Superintendent Charlotte Nasief reviewed the amended draft version of the facility plan, with the amendment including the purchase of the Clinton Center. Eaton noted that once the plan is fully approved locally, it could be put on the Kentucky Department of Education meetings agenda for approval as early as this October.

Superintendent Nasief noted that renovations to the existing Area Technology Center would cost upwards to $4.5 million and the price of acquiring the Clinton Center, would be less than $1 million. She said two previous grant applications had been turned down, but then the Clinton Center proposal came up and it was a win-win situation for both SCC and the local school district.

Naseif noted that Somerset Community College would still have space for several classes that would hopefully enhance student participation, as well as a new location for the Area Tech Center, which serves students in both Clinton and Cumberland counties in a central location. The current Area Tech Center would apparently be used for much needed storage space.

Nasief said the deal with SCC “would help us both out,” and Eaton said the opportunity that has presented itself to Clinton County was a “blessing,” since the district would be obtaining a building that was constructed in 2005, as opposed to the old Area Technology school constructed in 1967.

Both Eaton and Nasief noted the meetings, approval of the amended facility plan and another public hearing were part of the required steps from KDE in the process.

The amended facility plan calling for the SCC-Clinton Center purchase will see that facility used as the new Clinton County Area Technology Center and Central Office, as well as SCC classes consisting of cosmetology, metal productions/welding, industrial maintenance, automotive transportation, health services and bio-technology.

The existing Area Tech center would be used for various storage spaces and include several needed renovations, including roof replacement, HVAC system, electrical upgrades, case work, just to name a few.

The Local Planning Committee will meet again next Thursday, August 17 at 5:30 p.m. for a second required public forum, followed by a meeting of the committee, in which they will vote to approve the draft amendment to be forwarded to the Kentucky Department of Education. The location of the LPC meeting will be announced at a later date.