Toyota is developing a new manufacturing facility for building electric vehicle batteries in the Randolph County town of Liberty, just east of Guilford County.
Gabby Brown, a spokeswoman for Guilford County Schools, said that the district's $1.5 million portion of the grant will be for initiatives at Jackson Middle School and Southeast Guilford High School. She said the bulk of the money will go toward Jackson Middle School with the remainder for Southeast — the Guilford high school closest to the Liberty site — and the creation of an Advanced Manufacturing Signature Career Academy there.
Guilford County Schools already has one advanced manufacturing academy at Smith High School.
Brown explained that Jackson Middle School in Greensboro feeds into that school, and so the money is being targeted toward Jackson as part of creating a learning path for students who may attend Smith. The money, she said, will help the district provide equipment and professional development staff to help Jackson Middle students explore STEM, including through the creation of new, specialized courses.
"There will naturally be advanced manufacturing components to it," she said.
Brown said that students at Southeast Guilford will be able to start taking relevant courses as soon as next school year. She said there's no timeline yet for a full launch of the academy or when it might be offered as an option to students interested in applying from other areas of the county.
Last month, Congress appropriated $850,000 toward renovating and upfitting space within Southeast Guilford. According to Brown, the renovated building on Southeast's campus will provide opportunities for advanced manufacturing career exploration for both Southeast High and Southeast Middle students.
Brown said the district is also seeking $2.5 million from the state for the project.
"Hopefully additional funding sources will get it closer to opening," she said.
Superintendent Whitney Oakley said in a news release that experts say career exploration needs to begin sooner in students' schooling.
"This funding will create a unique opportunity for students to explore high-wage careers earlier, allowing them to be on the frontlines, setting the bar for the local talent pool and ultimately eliminating the cycle of poverty for some students," Oakley said.
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