SANTA YNEZ — A $3 million Career Technical Education Facilities Program grant has been awarded to the Santa Ynez Valley Union High School District to convert classrooms into a state-of-the-art culinary facility for students enrolled in the Restaurant Occupations program.
“Any campus facility improvements should result in improved instruction and learning for our students. With that in mind, this project hits a home run,” Superintendent Scott Cory said in a press release.
Career technical education is a multi-year program that progresses students into postsecondary education or a career.
“CTE programs have been a source of pride for our district and a cornerstone of our course offerings for decades,” he said. “These funds will help us usher in the next generation of CTE instruction and training for our students and provide them with the skills they need to successfully enter the workforce with so much more than entry-level skills.”
The grant money originated in two bond measures. Proposition 51, a $9 billion state-level bond measure passed in November 2016 that gives grants to match public schools’ investment in modernizing facilities. On the local level, Measure K, a $14.7 million bond passed in 2016 provided the funds to utilize the grant program and upgrade deteriorating facilities.
“I’d like to thank Valley voters for kickstarting the journey for us by approving Measure K,” Mr. Cory said. “When this grant became available, I was really excited about the possibility that we could do even more for our students and community than what the voters approved.”
Administrators are planning the full gut remodel, even penciling in a barbecue grill as an homage to local cuisine. Plans are due in a year, and construction will begin soon after.
— Annelise Hanshaw
