Community welcomed to New Tech

Monday, 04 June 2012 by Justin Cox

Belton ISD board members and staff joined new students at the New Tech High School at Waskow Wednesday during a dedication ceremony celebrating the remodeling of the facility into one of the preeminent advanced learning centers in Central Texas.Belton's New Tech High School at Waskow opened just after Spring Break ended - and the students themselves took part in welcoming the Belton community into the halls following the dedication ceremony Wednesday, May 9.

Remodeling for the school was completed in time for students to begin classes following Spring Break, having been housed in the Administration Building until that time.

Belton ISD was awarded a $3M Texas Title I Priority Schools grant to engage in a partnership with the New Tech Network to transform the former Waskow High School into a New Tech High School. This new school incorporates a one-to-one student to computer ratio, project-based teaching strategies, and requires students to develop hands-on skills through internships, dual-credit courses, and by tackling real world problems. The school began with a class of approximately 125 students as freshman and will add one class each year.

Students Dylan Jones and Kameron Swearengin welcomed approximately 200 attendees to the event, followed by presentation of the colors by New Tech students enrolled in the Marine Junior ROTC program. Randy Pittenger, Board President, thanked everyone involved in preparation for the dedication. Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon recognized members of the Waskow family who were present.

Representatives from the Henry T. Waskow VFW Post 4008, led by Commander Calvin Guthrie, were also in attendance. The Post provided funds for the Henry T. Waskow Memorial Wall at the school. Superintendent Dr. Susan Kincannon, said, "I am so excited about what the future holds for Belton ISD. We continue to be good stewards of our taxpayers' dollars by providing the best education for our students, giving them every available learning opportunity. Technology is a driving force in the world today, and we want our students to be equipped with an education that helps them to succeed in a changing world."

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