Toyota announces $5.7 million investment in 2 Ky. school systems, STEM high school

GEORGETOWN, Ky. (WKYT) - Toyota announced it would invest up to $5.7 million in Scott and Fayette county schools and Ignite Institute in northern Kentucky through its Driving Possibilities program.

The superintendents of both Scott County and Fayette County schools joined Toyota team members at the Toyota Kentucky Experience Center to talk about how this investment not only impacts students but parents and the community as well.

“The school system recognized the need for clear pathways to industry partnerships,” Toyota Motor Manufacturing Kentucky President Kerry Creech spoke on the importance of investing in schools. “This is vital for the success of our students and future workforce.”

Millions that in the next five years will help develop English as a second language, community resources and address transportation barriers.

“It wasn’t an opportunity for Toyota to get credit, per se. It was truly about making a difference and involving as many people as possible.” Fayette County Schools Superintendent Demetrus Liggins commented on the decision to partner with Toyota. “It was just a no-brainer to really do this partnership and ensure that we provide these opportunities to our students and the families that will receive them.”

Liggins was joined by Scott County Superintendent Billy Parker.

“It really involved a lot of collaboration too to really decide what it is that we needed to identify in our community that would give us the best bang for our buck, and Toyota helped us do that.”

As the next phase of the partnership between education and business begins.

We are told the impacts of this investment will be felt in the classroom quite quickly, allowing students to maximize these new opportunities as soon as possible.

In the next year, Driving Possibilities will invest $1.2 million, with the possibility of an additional $4.5 million in the four years after that.

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