BY MARK J. CRAWFORD
Bradford School Board members approved a loan agreement early Monday morning that will fund the expansion of the nursing program at North Florida Technical College.
The partnership with Santa Fe College to bring a registered nursing program to the college was made possible by the $4 million Florida Capital Funds Project Grant from the state Department of Commerce. The funds came to the state through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and will pay for program enhancements, allowing LPN students at NFTC to bridge into registered nursing right here.
Superintendent of Schools Will Hartley explained that it is essentially a technology grant that will also pay for renovations to the lab.
“Everything in there is going to be pretty awesome. It’s going to be state of the art stuff like mannequins and all kinds of really cool stuff. They’re even going to have one of the mannequins that can deliver a baby,” he said.
Nursing students will also receive remote instruction from Santa Fe College.
The nursing program is housed in the health science building at the corner of North Orange and West Weldon streets. Too new to be demolished with the rest of the campus, it will be the only building to remain once the site is cleared to make way for a new junior high school, which will eventually be joined by a new senior high school. The building will also be given a facelift as part of the school construction project, Hartley said.
Future of the college
According to the superintendent, the district is seeking guidance on how to incorporate North Florida Technical College with the plan for the junior/senior high school—whether it will be a school within a school or remain a separate, gated institute. He said he and Operations Director Jeff Edison just met with the Department of Education in Tallahassee and things went well. They understood what the district is trying to do, he said.
Hartley said the only difference between the middle school and the technical college now is the fence that separates them. When new school construction is finally complete, there will be three campuses in one. The technical college could be fenced off, while the junior and senior high schools would be split by a shared administration building.
Decisions about college leadership will also be made later. Hartley said Brad Bishop resigned to pursue opportunities in Clay County, and so his second in command, Keith Kirby, will continue overseeing the college for the remainder of the year. Administration at the middle school will assist when needed.
“Last year, we kind of learned a lot down there because we were short an ag teacher, and Mr. Kirby actually taught ag all year. So, you had ‘two administrators’ on campus, but you really didn’t. And so right now, instead of hiring another [administrator] that eventually, when you have a consolidation of campuses, we may have to get rid of, it’s better to find out if we can make it with just one and go from there,” he said.
If it goes well, they will continue with a single administrator at NFTC next year.
New school pitch
The application for the junior/senior high has been submitted. Hartley said FDOE has 90 days to send a committee. He will present the plan, illustrating the need and explaining how the new combined campus will address multiple problems, and the committee members will be able to see the schools for themselves. Then they will provide an unofficial answer before they leave.
So far, Bradford is the only school district coming forward with a project, and the deadline is this week. If this district is the only one in line, Hartley believe that will be a good sign. It could also mean the committee will arrive even sooner and let the district know whether it should move forward with a presentation in Tallahassee this summer or wait until next year.
Truck driving grant
Hartley said the district has also completed a grant application to construct its new truck driving school on land purchased by North Florida Land Trust northeast of Lawtey. Depending on the amount of the award, the Florida Job Growth Grant could cover most of the cost to construct classrooms, truck bays and a paved track.
Hartley said the land as well as the school’s trucks and equipment will be used to match the grant funds. In the future, the program could be expanded to include instruction in heavy equipment operation.
After discovering they couldn’t renew the lease for the school on Camp Blanding property, the military approached NFLT to help find a nearby location for the school. The 230-acre property near Camp Blanding is close to NFLT conservation lands and was bought from Rayonier Inc. for over $1.8 million using funds from the Camp Blanding Army Compatible Use Buffer program. NFLT has been purchasing land within the buffer for conservation purposes and to prevent development near the base.
Senior luncheon with heart
Concerned Citizens of Bradford County’s Senior Citizen Luncheon will celebrate American Heart Month. Come together to share ideas, foster connections and strengthen community bonds. The luncheon will be held at the RJE Community Health and Wellness Resource Hub on Wednesday, Feb. 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. The hub is located at 1080 Pine St. in Starke.
