Central Technology Center
Central Technology Center is a public career and technology education center located in Drumright, Oklahoma and Sapulpa, Oklahoma and provides a safe and friendly learning environment for High School and Adult students. Central Tech provide hands on career training to elevate students worth and future. Central Tech is part of the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education system.
History
On July 20, 1967, the first meeting of the Central Oklahoma Area Vocational Technical School Board of Education was held. That board hired the first Superintendent for the new school district, John H. Hopper, on November 13, 1967.
In August 1968, citizens of the Central Vo-Tech school district approved a $935,000 bond issue for construction and equipping the original building in Drumright. The first classes were held on the new campus on August 22, 1970. In the meantime, classes in Practical Nursing were conducted in a rented school building in Drumright.
A second campus was developed in Sapulpa in 1978 in a former discount retail center on the city’s south side. Growth continued in Drumright as an adult training facility was built in 1973, a driving range for Truck Driver Training was developed in 1974, and a 30,000 sq. ft. Trade and Industrial Education building was built in 1977. A graphics communications building opened in 1979, an administrative and high technology addition was made to the original structure in 1983, a 4,608 sq. ft. addition made to the north end of the main building in 1988 and a telecommunications wing was added in 2001. In 2011, a 16,000 sq. ft. pipeline and safety training center was built in Drumright to expand business and industry services.
In 2014, the Industrial & Safety Training Center in Sapulpa was built to expand business and industry services and house the full-time HVAC program.
The legal name for the technology center was officially changed to Central Technology Center in 1995, and its marketing name to Central Tech, when the state vo-tech system became Oklahoma CareerTech.
Central Tech is a top performer in the Oklahoma CareerTech system ranking high in job placement for graduates. It is the only technology center to be awarded the Gold Star School Award for excellence in technology education since inception in 1990.
Today, Central Tech serves more than 22,000 enrollments and provides customized business and industry training to more than 500 area businesses.[1]
Education
Central Tech has the option of Full-time classes or Short-Term classes. Full-time classes provide progress-based instruction and are designed for students seeking career or technical training. High School students can attend part-time and tuition free. Adults can attend mornings, afternoons or both. Central Tech Short-Term, or Adult Career Development (ACD), classes are offered to individuals seeking to enhance career skills, earn industry recognized certifications, continue professional education or explore personal interest. Some classes may be taken in sequence to build a career path.[2]
Student organizations
The National Technical Honor Society has an active chapter on this campus.