Kaine Visits Louisa County, Talks Earthquake Damage and CTE Programs

Senator Tim Kaine along with Louisa County school board members and county supervisors took a look around the new Louisa County High School construction site.

The original structure was destroyed in the 2011 earthquake and since then students have attended classes inside of modular units.

"The county had a very significant challenge right at the start of the school year with both one elementary school and one high school damaged beyond repair. The need to educate kids immediately was tough and then to rebuild the facilities," said Kaine.

Kaine credits the entire community for coming together to ensure students were able to adjust to the new learning environment.

"It took an awful lot of cooperation and parents and students and kids had to be flexible but the county went into a good problem-solving mode to deal with the immediate emergency, but then you have to build the new facilities," he said.

Kaine co-chairs the Senate Career and Technical Educational Caucus, and while touring the high school was very impressed with what is going on inside of CTE classrooms.

"Some of the best jobs in the country now you get with a high school degree and some technical training not necessarily the four-year college degree. Technical training after high school is critical and high schools can give kids a great head start on that by strong CTE programs in the K-12 system," he said.

Kaine says Louisa County has a great track record with its CTE programs and hopes other counties follow suit.

Senator Kaine ended his visit Tuesday at Thomas Jefferson Elementary which re-opened earlier this month.

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