Space in the rear of this former Olan Mills building will be the site of a STEM school at the Chattanooga State campus. The Wacker Institute is already operating in the front of the building.School officials are moving quickly to renovate a site, hire a principal and staff and start the student application process for Hamilton County’s new science, technology, engineering and math high school. Such speed is necessary if the STEM school and an associated hub to house its business and community partners are to be operational at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year.
Much of the planning for the school and an adjacent STEM hub run by the Public Education foundation, is in place. That work was part of the successful application to the state that earned a $1.85-million grant to open the facilities. The award, announced by Gov. Bill Haslam earlier this week, is funded by a portion of Tennessee’s $500 million federal Race to the Top Award. The grant should help the school system here fulfill the pressing need for technologically skilled graduates. Currently that need is not met.
Many current and prospective employers here say that it is difficult to fill present needs for a skilled workforce. That strongly suggests that future expansion of large-scale employers like Volkswagen, Wacker and others could be put on hold if the pool of qualified workers is not expanded. It indicates, too, that attracting additional high-tech industry with well-paying jobs and benefits will be difficult if the skill level of regional workers is not improved.
The new school — one of five of its type in Tennessee — won’t solve that problem alone, but it should help. STEM schools employ inventive teaching methods, the latest in technology and innovative community partnerships to produce graduates better able to meet the demand for skilled workers and the rigors of higher education. Those are admirable and necessary goals.
The school will be located in the former Olan Mills building next to Chattanooga State’s main campus. Renovation there will begin soon. Superintendent Rock Smith said the school system is already working to identify and hire staff. That’s a good start to what will be a busy few months before the school opens.