By Bonita Wilborn
HOLLYWOOD – On Monday, October 23, 2023, a grand opening ceremony was held at the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy in the Jackson County School District. Although the Center has already been used for a number of events, the grand opening ceremony was delayed until everything in the building was complete. The facility welcomed students at the start of the school year, and there has been much excitement surrounding its completion.
Alabama Board of Education member Wayne Reynolds was on hand at the ceremony and made the following statement, “if you build it, they will come. This facility is built, the students will come, and the industry will follow it.”
This Career and Innovation Academy was the vision of the late Kevin Dukes, former Superintendent of Education of the Jackson County School System. According to current Superintendent Jason Davidson, the 30-acre campus will support all Jackson County Schools by providing both college and career technical courses, including nursing, healthcare, welding, and an area for elementary and middle school STEM robotics, arts, music, and drama, all in one facility that has modern state-of-the-art equipment.
Local legislators Nathaniel Ledbetter and Steve Livingston, along with Alabama state officials Board of Education member Wayne Reynolds and State Superintendent Dr. Eric Mackey, and Jackson County School system administrators, teachers, and others were at the ceremony to the view facility.
Mackey stated, “College and career is more fluid than it’s ever been before. Facilities like this allow people to mix both highly rigorous academics and highly rigorous hands-on training.”
The Academy will also serve as the new home of the Jackson County School District central office.
The Deborah Hilley Medical Learning Lab was also dedicated during the day’s celebrations. It is named for Mrs. Deborah Wilborn Hilley, who passed away on October 14, 2022. Hilley served 20 years as a Health Science II instructor at EPCOT and left quite a legacy in the nursing program
Current Health Science II instructor Amanda Adkins said of Hilley in a 2022 interview, “Mrs. Hilley made an unforgettable impact on my life as I know she has for many students over the years. I hope I can continue the legacy that she has built through this program. I can continue the legacy that she has built through this program. She was a phenomenal teacher, mentor, and role model to every student.”
An Open House for the Kevin Dukes Career and Innovation Academy will be on Tuesday, November 7, 2023, from 5:00 PM -7:00 PM so the public can see the state-of-the-art facility.
