Career and Technical Education Building Ribbon Cutting

On August 19, 2021, Cascade School District (CSD) held a ribbon cutting for the renovated Career and Technical Education (CTE) building that is located on the Cascade High School (CHS) campus. CTE has grown over the past several years. The list of courses of study just keeps growing. There is something for every child, the one who wants to go to college, the one who doesn’t, the one who wants to learn a trade, the one who wants to be an entrepreneur, and the one who wants to be an artist. The renovation of this building will service the district for many years. It can now accommodate students in 7^th and 8^th grade as well as those in high school. It is important to have facilities that are efficient, spacious and conducive to learning. This building is certainly those things. The courses to be taught in the renovated building include middle school pre-engineering and robotics, as well as high school engineering design (CAD), robotics and materials engineering (woods and metals).

Attendees included Representative Keith Goehner and his wife Lisa, Mayor Carl Florea, North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) superintendent Dr. Michelle Price, NCESD assistant superintendent Dr. Linda McKay, NCESD Career Connected Learning Specialist Tami McBride, past school superintendents Bill Motsenbocker and Howard Cook, school board chair Trey Ising, school board members Cyndi Garza, Zachary Miller and Cindy Puckett, City of Leavenworth Public Works Director Tom Wachholder, project manager Linda Colasurdo, and many other supporters. CSD staff in attendance included Superintendent Dr. Tracey Beckendorf-Edou, CSD Executive Director of Finance and Operations Dwight Remick, Facilities Supervisor Teresa Disher, CHS Principal Elia Ala’ilima-Daley, CHS Vice Principal Rudy Joya, Special Education Director Brett Johnson, IRMS Principal James Swanson, PD Principal Emily Ross, CTE Director and teacher Kirk Sunitsch, teacher David Harvill, maintenance specialist Andrew Disher, Executive Secretary Julie Winters, and Administrative Assistant Maren Cagle.

The renovation of the CTE building was due to dedicated work and elbow grease by David Harvill, Kirk Sunitsch, Teresa Disher, Andrew Disher, Jason O’Brien, Maren Cagle, Lydig Construction, Brian Kromm, Linda Colasurdo, John Henry, Dwight Remick, and others. A very wise man wrote a note recently and he hit the nail on the head.  He said, “The winners will be our students.”  Thank you, Mr. Stroup.  The winners will be our students, and then, by extension, all of us as they grow and learn and thrive.