Officials with Cullman County Schools on Tuesday announced a major investment in the future of education in Cullman County. The district has been awarded an $18 million dollar grant from the Alabama State Department of Education. Those funds will be used to construct a state-of-the-art STEM Academy and career center.
"This is monumental for not only the Cullman County and Cullman City students that currently attend our career center, but the entire Cullman County community," said Dr. Shane Barnette, Cullman County School Superintendent.
The new facility will be built on 79 acres of land the system is purchasing in the Phelan community, on U.S. Highway 31. "This is a perfect location," said Dr. Barnette. "This new facility will be centrally located in Cullman County, with easy access for all of our students."
The new Cullman County STEM Academy will be built on a 79 acre tract of land in the Phelan community, on U.S. Highway 31.
Dr. Barnette and school officials have been working for almost a decade to secure funding for such a center. Cullman County Schools would like to thank State Senator Garlan Gudger as well as State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey as well as the Alabama State Department of Education for awarding this grant to the school system.
Dr. Barnette believes this new facility will open new doors for our students. "I believe that building a completely new, modern STEM Academy in which young people will be eager to attend, will be a game-changer when it comes to providing the workforce for local industries and businesses, but also for these young people as they develop a skill that they will enjoy and can use to provide for their families for years to come."