Roanoke County Career and Technology Center

The Roanoke County School Board has selected a proposal submitted by Branch Companies, RRMM Architects and Balzer & Associates to construct a new career and technical education center, and renovate and expand Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff elementary schools.
 
Initially, three proposals were submitted.  An initial review committee evaluated all three proposals and recommended two to advance to a more detailed presentation phase.  A second review committee evaluated the two detailed proposals and recommended the board approve the Branch group proposal.
 
The entire project will cost $130 million dollars with $80 million dedicated to build the new CTE center and $50 million to renovate and expand the two elementary schools.  

“The funding for this project was the result of a memorandum of understanding between the Roanoke County School Board and the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors earlier this year to provide $130 million to allow these projects to start as soon as summer 2024 with a possible completion date of summer-fall 2026,” said Brent Hudson, chairman of the Roanoke County School Board.  “We thank the Board of Supervisors for working with us to move these projects forward quickly,” Hudson said.
 
In February, 2023, the Roanoke County School Board purchased 28 acres of land located adjacent to Peters Creek Road just north of the intersection with Airport Road for $4.13 million dollars to serve as the site for the new CTE center.
 
The new CTE center will replace the current Burton Center for Arts & Technology located in Salem.  BCAT is home to a Governor’s STEM Academy and award-winning programs including the Center for Engineering, motorsports and welding, Center for Mass Communication, culinary arts, building trades, mechatronics/robotics, health sciences, cybersecurity, and other centers. Students from all five Roanoke County high schools learn marketable skills for post-graduation employment and further education in multiple fields.  
 
New programs coming to the new CTE center include dental/orthodontic assistant, diesel technician, collision repair and HVAC.

“We are very excited to move forward with these much needed projects,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools.  “This announcement is the culmination of a lot of work, planning and preparation.  Our staff has put in countless hours of advance work to identify what we need to include in the new CTE center and what improvements we need to make at Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff elementary schools,” said Dr. Nicely.   
 
“We’re looking to start these projects this coming summer and that wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the School Board, Board of Supervisors and Citizens Advisory Committee.  We are very thankful for their partnership in helping us identify the site, scope, and funding to get these projects underway,” Dr. Nicely said.

 

April 20, 2023:

The Roanoke County School Board unanimously approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Roanoke County Board of Supervisors to immediately advance funding for the development and construction of a new career and technical education (CTE) center and for the renovation of Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff elementary schools.

The MOU provides $80 million for construction of the new CTE center and $50 million for the renovation of Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff elementary schools.  With this advanced funding, construction on the new CTE center and renovations on the two elementary schools could begin as early as late 2024.

Already the school board has purchased a site for the new CTE center located on Peters Creek Road between the intersection of Airport Road and Burlington Elementary School.

“This is a historic day for Roanoke County.  This is going to create a level of opportunity, not only for our students, but the Roanoke Valley as a whole, and I want to thank the Board of Supervisors for coming to the table, negotiating with us, and ultimately coming to an agreement” said Brent Hudson, chairman of the Roanoke County School Board.  “This also allows us to remove outdated open concept classrooms at Glen Cove and W.E. Cundiff and advances more school improvement projects by several years,” Hudson said.

“I want to thank the school board for approving this MOU.  This is the next step to get these important projects moving forward.  We are so grateful to now have the funding to start these projects,” said Dr. Ken Nicely, superintendent of Roanoke County Public Schools.  

“We now have a lot of work to do, and we look forward to breaking ground,” Dr. Nicely added. 

The Roanoke County School Board has announced the purchase of land adjacent to Peters Creek Road between Airport Road and Burlington Elementary School.  This site will serve as the location for the new Roanoke County Public Schools Career & Technical Education (CTE) Center and will replace the existing CTE facility that houses the Burton Center for Arts & Technology (BCAT).

The site was selected based on the recommendations of the Roanoke County CTE Center Citizen’s Advisory Committee.  The Citizen’s Advisory Committee was jointly appointed by the Board of Supervisors and the School Board and charged with identifying potential sites, evaluating the proposed scope of the project, and exploring non-traditional funding options including alternate energy solutions.  For nearly a year, the committee has worked to identify the future needs for a new CTE center in Roanoke County and to locate potential sites for the new center.  The committee also toured other CTE centers in Virginia to see how similar centers operate and what facilities are needed to provide leading-edge learning opportunities for students.

“This has been an exciting experience to be part of,” said Mike Altizer, chairman of the CTE Center Citizens Advisory Committee. “I want to thank the members of the committee for their hard work and their careful and thoughtful deliberations as together we searched for the right place to locate this new CTE center.  The committee has learned so much and gathered a lot of information from our tours of other facilities. I also would like to thank the businesses who came and gave the committee valuable information,” Altizer added.

“We are grateful to the CTE Center Citizens Advisory Committee for their months of work that has led to this moment,” said David Linden, chairman of the Roanoke County School Board.  “The committee has carefully examined not only our current needs but also is engaging Roanoke-area businesses to re-imagine how the new center can serve as an economic development driver for the region in the future,” Linden added.

“I commend the committee for their efforts to deliver the best recommendations for a CTE facility,” said Paul Mahoney, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. “Additionally, I appreciate the work of staff in developing a sound financial model to support the project. We now have strong, positive actions to move forward, enabling our children and grandchildren more opportunities to live, work and raise a family in Roanoke."

The current Burton Center for Arts and Technology is home to a Governor’s STEM Academy and award-winning programs including the Center for Engineering, motorsports and welding, Center for Mass Communication, culinary arts, building trades, mechatronics/robotics, health sciences, cybersecurity, and Center for Visual Arts. Students from all five Roanoke County high schools learn marketable skills for post-graduation employment and further education in multiple fields. 

“A modern facility for our CTE center will allow us to expand our programs to better meet the needs of the business community and provide greater access to high-quality programs for our students,” said Roanoke County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ken Nicely. “The new CTE center is a significant investment in our goal to graduate Roanoke County students who are what we call ‘Opportunity Ready’ -- prepared to take full advantage of career, educational, and life-fulfilling pathways to success,” Dr. Nicely said.