History of Central Tech

On July 20, 1967, the first meeting of the Central Oklahoma Area Vocational Technical School Board of Education was held. That board hired the first Superintendent for the new school district, John H. Hopper, on November 13, 1967.

In August of 1968, citizens of the Central Vo-Tech school district approved a $935,000 bond issue for construction and equipping the original building in Drumright. The first classes were held on the new campus on August 22, 1970. In the meantime, classes in Practical Nursing were conducted in a rented school building in Drumright.

A second campus was developed in Sapulpa in 1978 in a former discount retail center on the city's south side. Growth continued in Drumright as an adult training facility was built in 1973, a driving range for Truck Driver Training was developed in 1974, and a 30,000 sq. ft. Trade and Industrial Education building was built in 1977. A graphics communications building opened in 1979, an administrative and high technology addition was made to the original structure in 1983, a 4,608 sq. ft. addition made to the north end of the main building in 1988 and a telecommunications wing was added in 2001.

The legal name for the technology center was officially changed to Central Technology Center in 1995, and its marketing name to Central Tech, when the state vo-tech system became Oklahoma CareerTech. Today, Central Tech leads the state's CareerTech system in job placement for graduates and successful completers and is the only technology center to be awarded the Gold Star School Award for excellence in technology education for eighteen consecutive years.

Performance

Gold Star of Excellence - Central Technology Center is the only technology center in the state of Oklahoma to receive the Gold Star of Excellence award since its inception in 1990. While meeting Gold Star Standards, Central Tech continues the tradition of nurturing // --> creativity, innovation and flexibility in the classroom and in the workplace. Central Tech provides excellence in technical education to empower individuals and elevate the workforce.

1. Placement 95.6%
2. Clients Served in 2007-2008: 20,384
   • 978 Full-Time Students
   • 746 Truck Driver Training Students
   • 18,660 Adult Training/Business & Industry Clients
3. Gold Star of Excellence Award Recipient since 1990
4. Alliance Agreement with OSU-Institute of Technology and five other higher education institutions allows students to earn college credit tuition free
5. Pre-Engineering & Biomedical Sciences classes
6. Academic classes in math and science
7. Hands-on training in 118 Career Majors for full-time students
8. Project Turning Point - a dropout recovery program for high school students who have recently dropped out, or are at risk of dropping out
9. Nationally Recognized Cyber Security Program
10. 2,367 College Credit Hours Earned by Central Tech
    • Students (2008-2009)
11. Expanded Business and Industry Support: Safety, Pipeline, Operator Qualification (OQ), Welding, Machine Tool & Custom Training
12. First Regional Site for the Oklahoma School of Science & Math (OSSM)
13. 2008 full-time graduates annual payroll (benefits not included): $24,271,563

Central Tech Profile

Accrediting Agencies

All Central Tech classes are accredited through North Central and ODCTE. Central Tech is a part of the Southern Regional Education Board Tech Centers That Work (TCTW) network.

Based on curriculum for some programs additional accreditation is needed. Accrediting agencies for those classes are listed below.

Automotive Service Technology
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)

Administrative Assistant - Medical
BrainBench

Business and Information Technology
BrainBench

Health Careers Certifications
Oklahoma Department of Health
National Healthcareer Association

Construction Trades
NCCER

Diesel Technology
Automotive Service Excellence (ASE)

Cosmetology
Oklahoma Board of Cosmetology

Interactive Multimedia
NCCER

Practical Nursing
Oklahoma Board of Nursing

Pre-Engineering
Project Lead the Way Certified School

Surgical Technology
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)
Association of Surgical Technologists (AST)

Truck Driver Training
Professional Truck Driver Training Institute

Vision

Central Tech is the leader in technical education and workforce development.

Mission

Central Tech provides excellence in technical education to empower individuals and elevate the workforce.

Core Values

We believe in:

Providing a positive learning environment that is friendly and safe
Striving for excellence
Elevating the worth of the individual
Encouraging creativity and innovation
Remaining visionary and agile

Board of Education

Fred Caudle - President
Dr. Richard Pitts - Vice President
Eddie Walker - Member
Dave Roberts - Member
Joe Naifeh - Member
Lori Toland - Appointed Clerk
Phil Waul - Superintendent

The Central Technology Center Board of Education meets at 5:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of January, February, March, April, May, July, August, September, November and December, in the Board Room, Central Tech, 3 CT Circle, Drumright, Oklahoma.

The Board meets at 5:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of June and October in the Board/BIS Conference Room, Central Tech, 1720 S. Main, Sapulpa, Oklahoma.

BOE Agenda (August)

Public Notice of Non-Discrimination

Central Technology Center, in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1974, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the American Disabilities Act (ADA), does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, national origin, age, sex/gender, disability or veteran status in any of its policies, practices or procedures. These equal opportunity provisions include, but are not limited to, admissions, employment, financial aid and educational services.

Questions, complaints, or requests for additional information regarding these laws may be forwarded to Judy Robinson, Assistant Superintendent, the designated compliance coordinator, at 918-352-2551, Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 4:00 pm.