Jefferson College has received a $400,000 state grant and will use the funds to update its fire science program and upgrade and expand its heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) programs.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education selected Jefferson College for the Missouri Area Career Center Opportunity (MACCO) grant, which is part of a program designed to enhance the state’s career and technical education (CTE) capacity by updating infrastructure and equipment at schools around the state.
Jefferson College President Dena McCaffrey said the grant money will help her school prepare students for their careers.
“Jefferson College has a strong commitment to educating the workforce of tomorrow and to providing equal opportunities for all who want to pursue their dreams of higher education and well-paying jobs,” McCaffrey said. “This grant positions the college to remain responsive to employer needs while helping to build a strong regional economy.”
The college has earmarked $325,000 of the grant to create an outdoor fire science lab that will allow the school to have a permanent place to house a burn building and simulation equipment, as well as to make other improvements.
At present, the college uses its fire service equipment on the tennis courts at the Hillsboro campus.
“The outdoor lab will be moved to an area near our softball field (on the north end of the Hillsboro campus),” said Chris DeGeare, the college’s vice president of instruction.
DeGeare said the planned improvements should benefit not only those who participate in the Jefferson College programs, but also others in the area.
“In addition to our students, we have a partnership with the Jefferson County Emergency Services Training Academy where they are able to use our facilities for fire science training for adults,” he said. “With that participation, it’s really going to benefit the wider community.”
The remaining $75,000 will go toward renovations at the CTE Building on Jefferson College’s Hillsboro campus, DeGeare said.
“That’s to renovate our HVAC lab,” he said. “We will use part of the grant for safety upgrades and to expand the HVAC program.”
DeGeare said the college’s fire science program is specifically for high school students in its Area Technical School programs, while its HVAC program is for ATS students and college students.
“We have 15 students in the fire safety program. That will not increase,” DeGeare said. “With the high school students in our ATS HVAC program, we have 33. We hope it will be able to increase up to 40 with the renovations. We have 90 college students in HVAC and plan to expand to up to 120.”
He said college officials hope to begin the various renovations this summer.
“We would plan to start the work after July 1 and hope to have it completed over the next year,” DeGeare said. “I would think the fire science project will take a full year. We hope to have the HVAC work done by next fall.”
He credited Gov. Mike Parson for championing career and technical education.
“We’re very appreciative of the governor’s work toward supporting career and technical education and making these funds available for doing this important work,” DeGeare said.
MACCO is funded through the American Rescue Plan Acts, and Parson included it in his fiscal year 2023 budget proposal to the Missouri General Assembly.