Paintsville Indep. Schools fundraising for STEAM center

PAINTSVILLE, Ky. (WYMT) - Rocky Adkins, a Senior Advisor to Governor Andy Beshear, presented $1.5 million in grants to Paintsville Independent Schools.

The money will go towards fundraising for the Paintsville Independent Schools Economic Development Center.

The school system has raised $4 million, including the governor’s office grant for the project, which will cost around $8 million in total.

“There’s not a lot of single-A’s in the state of Kentucky, and this is just gonna offer our kids just another leg up on the bigger school systems,” said Paintsville School Board Vice-Chair Kay Hall.

Administrators said the center, also referred to as a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Academy, will give students an education more tailored to their interests.

”We, through the pandemic, have learned that kids are learning different. They’re more hands-on. They’re more industry-based, and the days of just going to college and getting a college education are in the past. We look to have certificate training in several areas from engineering to drone technology,” said Paintsville Independent Schools Superintendent David Gibson.

Gibson said the economic development center will also be of use to the community.

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