Utica Shale Academy awards bid for new welding lab
SALINEVILLE — The Utica Shale Academy is adding a second welding lab to its campus after awarding an estimated $907,000 bid for construction.
The community school contracted with PDBM of Canonsburg, Pa., for the project and Superintendent Bill Watson said plans are to have the structure completed this summer.
“It should be completed in August,” Watson said. “This will be a 50-foot-by-100-foot building with up to 40 welding labs and will include a CNC plasma machine and a classroom area.”
The building will be located next to the current outdoor welding lab along East Main Street and is a restructuring of previous plans for a three-story building. Watson explained that a funding request by U.S. Rep. Michael Rulli, R-Salem, which was made while he was still a state senator, yielded a smaller amount and caused officials to take a different course of action. USA was the first recipient of Gov. Mike DeWine’s $500 million Appalachian Community Grant to construct a new building and expand the welding, heavy equipment and robotics programs.
“We’ve worked on this idea for two years to try to make it a reality. (Then-state Sen. Rulli) put in for a $5 million earmark but we received $2.5 million, so we had to change plans.”
The remainder of the funds have been used to make improvements at the Williams Collaboration Building that houses the USA administrative offices, new junior high program and cafeteria. Watson said the cafeteria was renovated to house the kitchen and dining area while the offices, windows and boiler were updated, plus an ERV air circulation system was to be finished in the spring.
Since its inception roughly a decade ago, the Utica Shale Academy has established a campus in the village comprised of the Hutson Building, the Energy Training Center, the Williams Collaboration Center and the outdoor welding site along East Main Street as well as the Utica Shale Academy Community Center that is housed on Church Street. About 170 students in grades 7-12 currently attend the community school, which is a dropout recovery and retention facility that focuses career-tech education for at-risk pupils. More than 150 students have graduated with over 1,100 certifications being earned since 2021.
USA provides programming in partnership with Youngstown State University to expose the junior high students to career-tech opportunities, plus medical services are available with certified health workers and licensed therapeutic behavior support counselors from organizations such as COMPASS 247, Avis Drug-Free World and Alta. Grades 9-12 are housed at the Hutson Building and all students will undergo a blend of online education through the Virtual Learning Academy by the Jefferson County Educational Service Center with hands-on learning in various trades. Courses include megatronics, hydraulics, pneumatics, AC/DC electric, programmable logic controllers, diesel mechanics and horticulture to train both students and adults, while the community center features a gym and community services.
For information, contact USA at (330) 679-2000 or visit uticashaleschool.com.