Roanoke cut the ribbon to celebrate its new Charles W. Day Technical Education Center on Friday afternoon, a place where high schoolers are learning career skills beyond typical classroom lessons.
Those students, such as senior Aleyah Legans, call the school DAYTEC. She is enrolled in both the culinary arts and criminal justice programs.
“This school has not just prepared me for the workforce, but has provided me with hands-on learning experience to go beyond traditional education,” Legans said. “These classes are not just about textbooks and lectures, but are about practical skills that I can apply in the real world.”
Older generations might not recognize the new look of former William Ruffner Middle School, beside William Fleming High School. This is Roanoke’s second career-technical center, kin to Patrick Henry High School’s ROTEC, or Roanoke Technical Education Center, located across town.
Work began in September 2020 to renovate the 72,822 square-foot, two-story DAYTEC, said Kathy Duncan, the school system’s career and technical education director.
It was a $24.5 million project, aided by state and federal coronavirus recovery funding, according to school board documents. It’s part of the school’s Equity in Action plan.
“Today we have 17 classrooms, 16 labs… a state-of-the-art kitchen for culinary arts. A new automotive wing with car lifts, garage doors,” Duncan said. “Cutting-edge technology that provides our students with the opportunity to receive high-quality, hands-on experience.”
School board Chairwoman Eli Jamison said data shows students who participate in career and technical programs are more engaged in school, and enjoy better employment opportunities afterward.
“We aren’t sure what the future will bring with the rise of technology such as artificial intelligence,” Jamison said. “But we are equipping our students with the skills that will last them for their lifetime.”
Repeating a phrase she uses often, Superintendent Verletta White said this is legacy work.
“Our students come first… our children deserve it,” White said. “We can’t ever stop dreaming.”
The school district named the building after the late Charles W. Day, who served decades as a principal, including at William Ruffner Middle, and on the school board.
Various wings and areas of DAYTEC are named after other impactful Roanoke residents.
Mayor Sherman Lea said he previously served on the school board alongside DAYTEC’s namesake.
“This new career and technical education center is going to benefit our city for years to come,” Lea said. “This really is a generational investment.”
Day’s daughter, Charlene Day, said family traveled from out of town to see their relative honored in Roanoke.
“My dad would truly be moved, he’d be speechless today that former Ruffner would be named in his honor,” Charlene Day said. “He’d be so moved that this is truly a legacy that will continue to go on for years and years.”
The legacy continues through DAYTEC students like Tahj Thompson, who is taking sports medicine classes with plans to study business entrepreneurship.
“This new building gives each student opportunities to learn from state-of-the-art classrooms and equipment, as well as set up students for success after high school,” Thompson said. “I am more passionate about my future than ever, thanks to DAYTEC.”
Photos: Roanoke's Charles W. Day Technical Education Center
Roanoke City Public Schools celebrated the grand opening of Charles W. Day Technical Education Center on Friday. The newly renovated career and technical center is the second in the school system. DAYTEC is located adjacent to William Fleming High School.
HVAC instructor Nathan Wheeling, center, works with students Rony Cuellar, left, and Tayden Bailey during the grand opening of the Charles W. Day Technical Education Center on Friday.
Charlene Day, the daughter of Charles W. Day, speaks during the grand opening of the Roanoke City Public Schools’ newest technical and education center named after her father.