Academy Street cuts the ribbon on Career Innovation Center

Academy Street Career Innovation Center (ASCIC) held a ribbon cutting Thursday to celebrate the repurposing of the facility and a successful first month of operations.

After 56 years, what was once the segregated Academy Street High School (ASHS) has been repurposed as Academy Street Career Innovation Center. The ceremony featured speakers ranging from Alabama congressmen to alumni of the old high school who are relieved their alma mater is getting new life.

“When you have that devotion or love for something, it can be very difficult for you to just dismiss it and think of it never again,” said ASHS Alumni Association member Clarence Curry.

Although the school was part of a discriminatory system, Curry said it and its faculty played a huge part in shaping him into the man he is today.

“More than anything else, I had dedicated teachers,” Curry said. “I had teachers who put forth the effort and had a strong foundation in doing that.”

Now, educators at the career innovation center intend to make the same impact on their students. They’re not just educating; they’re shaping the students into the people they’ll become after graduation.

“Being able to reach more kids and train students in additional programs, I think we’re going to make a huge impact on the workforce,” said ASCIC Principal and Director of Career Technical Education for Pike County Casey Moore. “I think that we truly make a difference and it’s just wonderful to get to be a part of something like that.”

In Pike County and Alabama as a whole, only about 30% of people go to college to further their education, while the rest go straight into the workforce. Mark Bazzell, superintendent of the Pike County Board of Education, said their goal is to prepare the other 70% for success in their fields.

“It’s going to create life-changing opportunities for a lot of kids, and we’re excited about it,” Bazzell said. “I know it means a lot to the alumni here that what we’re doing is in line with the original mission of the school.”

After being used for many different ventures over the years, Curry said he’s glad the building is officially back to being a school serving the youth that will shape the future of the community.

“We would not want it to ever be forgotten because of the importance that the school played for the community,” Curry said.

One month into operation, the center is preparing for $15 million worth of renovations as part of a plan that includes a two-story culinary arts building, facilities for public safety, mechatronics and nursing, as well as a few multipurpose facilities to allow for growth in the future.