Stantec to Design Specialized Career Technical Education High School in New Mexico
New institute to offer an energy course cluster to promote jobs in the Energy sector
Hobbs Municipal Schools (HMS) has selected Stantec to design a new Career Technical Education (CTE) Center in Hobbs, New Mexico. As a regional facility, the Center will potentially serve students from surrounding school districts in Lea County and provide the full spectrum of CTE Clusters and Pathways. The project features facilities to support a new Energy Cluster program that will provide students with the training to serve the local Gas and Oil Industry, as well as wind, solar and other energy technologies. Additionally, the new CTE facility will provide educational emphasis on architecture and construction, manufacturing, information technology, transportation and logistics, and STEM.
HMS initially asked Stantec to engage the Hobbs community, including educators, potential business partners and community leaders to help them understand and vision such a center, and how it would benefit their community. “After several engagement meetings and sessions, it became clear to everyone how important this new project would be for their students, businesses, and community for generations to come,” said Theo Pappas, senior educational planner/CTE Specialist at Stantec.
HMS is working with several partners in the development of the project, including City of Hobbs, Lea County, New Mexico Junior College, the Permian Strategic Partnership and the JF Maddox Foundation.
“Career Technical Education Projects often require strong partnerships to ensure success,” said Pappas. “With such commitments already in place, we are so excited to have the opportunity to help Hobbs realize this wonderful goal for their community as a whole.”
Stantec is currently developing a facility program for the CTE center with HMS staff and administration and community partners. Stantec is also analyzing specific site options for locating the project near the existing Hobbs high school, which is currently anticipating a 40% growth in student enrollment in the next five years.
“The Career Technical Education facility is not about a building, it is about a change in our culture,” said TJ Parks, HMS Superintendent. “HMS, along with its partners, wants to provide opportunities for our students that will enable them to be successful in their choice of careers or higher education. CTE is an enhancement to quality of life.”
“We look forward to developing a conceptual design for the project that will serve as a landmark for the community going forward,” said Christian Owens, Stantec’s Principal Designer for the project. “The proposed program, concept design, site plan, and budget will be the basis for the anticipated bond election for the project in November of this year.”
Stantec has been selected as the prime consultant on the CTE project, responsible for planning, programming, architecture, interior design, and structural engineering. Stantec’s key local partners are Wilson & Company Inc., Engineers & Architects and Pettigrew and Associates, Civil Engineers.
The JF Maddox Foundation engages in innovative initiatives in support of community development throughout Lea County, New Mexico. The Permian Strategic Partnership is a consortium of energy and gas and oil-service companies positioned in Texas and New Mexico and who actively support education and training for the communities that they serve.
The new CTE Project is anticipated to cost approximately $40 million and will house over 600 students when completed in 2021.
