CHUBBUCK — School District 25’s plan to transform the former Allstate call center into a career technical education school is advancing, and it has set a goal to hold classes at the building in time for the 2023-24 school year.

Located at 4200 Hawthorne Road in Chubbuck, the nearly 80,000-square-foot building was officially purchased by the school district in late November for $12.6 million and will provide students with space dedicated specifically for career technical education.

“Southeastern Idaho is projected to grow significantly over the next few years,” School District 25 Superintendent Doug Howell said in a news release back in October. “The ability to expand our career technical education programs in a dedicated center changes the landscape of our academic offerings in a unique and exciting way, with the opportunity to grow as our community grows.”

Though the project is still in its early stages with many decisions on the horizon and current decisions subject to change, the board is currently seeking an architect to reconfigure the interior and create smaller-sized instructional spaces geared for the programs.

The programs that could move into the building during phase one include accounting, law enforcement, programming and cloud computing, and several business programs.

Once more of the building’s classrooms are renovated to suit the school’s needs, phase two will bring in many more programs and could potentially include a new commercial kitchen for the culinary arts program.

The possibility for more pathways — the school district currently offers 25 — is also on the table thanks to the increase in space, with district officials weighing in on offering construction, unmanned aerial systems, and an expansion of the welding program.

Bringing educational opportunities that help segue students into promising careers after they graduate has been one of the school district’s central missions, the school district’s communications coordinator Courtney Fisher explained in a collated email to the Journal.

“Preparing learners for college and high skill, in-demand careers is one of the hallmarks of the Pocatello-Chubbuck School District 25’s mission,” Fisher said. “Career Technical Education offers a variety of pathways that begin in high school and continue (on) to college and workforce training to prepare students with today’s job skills and connect them to exciting careers.”

Career technical education programs are blossoming throughout Idaho and beyond, equipping students with skill sets needed for post-secondary schooling and careers they’re interested in pursuing.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, “Students who focused on career and technical education (CTE) courses while in high school had higher median annual earnings than students who did not focus on CTE” eight years after graduating.

In addition, students can also earn certifications before graduating and work with local businesses in collaborative work environments, said Fisher.

“Learners have the opportunity to tap into state funding through the Advanced Opportunities program to earn industry certification or an Associate’s Degree through the district’s university partnerships,” she explained, adding that “students who are in a CTE pathway understand the next steps after high school graduation and the programs provide a talent pipeline for Idaho’s businesses.”

The building will be renamed the Portneuf Valley Technical Education & Career Campus.