$12.5 million grant awarded for Marion County Career Academy facility

HAMILTON —In a room filled with teachers, coaches, students and school administrators, as well as officials at the local, county and state level, some big news was shared about a new facility to be constructed for the Marion County Career Academy, along with a big check for $12.5 million to fund its construction.
As one of the first of its kind Rural Career Tech Center Grants made possible through the Alabama Department of Education, and the largest grant in the history of Marion County Schools, officials noted work went on behind the scenes for more than a year to change the grant process to make the award possible, even down to language used and requirements needed on the state level.
Speakers for the Thursday, Sept. 17, announcement in the Bevill Business & Community Center in Hamilton included Marion County Board of Education Career Tech Director Josh Weatherly, MCBOE School Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sutton, Alabama State Senator and Senate Pro-tem Garlan Gudger, Bevill State Community College President Dr. Joel Hagood and recently retired School Superintendents of Alabama Executive Director Ryan Hollingsworth, who was also a former local school superintendent, among other roles.
Weatherly kicked off the meeting by noting the MCCA represents an incredible opportunity for students to explore careers, earn industry credentials and begin preparing for their future while they are still in high school.
He thanked Bevill and its staff for all their hard work and commitment to students.
“There are a lot of people who played a role in getting us to where we are today,” he said. “And we are grateful to every person and organization that has invested in the MCCA, and more importantly, the future of our students.”