After a long absence, students in Franklin County will once again have access to training in the construction trades.
Robert G. Burton has donated $30,000 to the Franklin County Regional Delivery System for Career and Technical Education. The West Frankfort High School graduate is now CEO of a major commercial printing and custom packaging firm in Connecticut.
Franklin County Regional School Superintendent Matt Donkin says a lack of funding forced schools to do away with most of these classes over 20 years ago.
"A lot has been made about being college ready and the amount of basic classes in math and writing have been increased, so there's been less room on the schedule for some of these other classes. This has been an unfortunate side effect where we haven't got as many to offer, we don't have as many kids who have the opportunity to take them."
He says it's important to bring it back.
"I run into people every day who recognize that with on the job training for people who go out with a school immediately and work and those jobs won't be going overseas because they are right here, construction, in our area."
Burton's contribution will provide a complete mobile lab for the first-ever countywide Construction Trades program.
It's scheduled to be ready for the start of the new academic year in August.
