by Chuck Seaver, South Lake Tablet
Leadership members representing the Lake Technical College (LTC) and the Lincoln Park Education Center (LPEC) recently invited community members and not-for-profit organizations related to youth and education interests to a program update presentation and mini tour of the all-in-one, partnered campus.
The campus located at 845 School Street, Clermont, has undergone a phased-in transformation that includes both an opportunity for continued and expanded skilled workforce development in high-demand careers and a flexible high school option for local students.
LPEC Principal Jeffrey Williams has dedicated most of his adult life to education and realizes the need for accommodating students who do not fit into the traditional high school curriculum and schedules. “We capitalize our time with students who can choose their schedules. In the beginning, we offered and tried both morning and afternoon classes. We quickly discovered that morning classes were the most beneficial and desired hours selected by our students. The students enjoy the opportunity of learning in the morning and then focusing the remainder of their day on work, higher education, such as college-level classes or workforce development classes. However, some students prefer afternoon classes for a variety of reasons, including work schedules, so we still offer afternoon classes,” says Williams. The 2025-26 sessions at LPEC are 7:15 am – 12:27 pm with afternoon classes starting at 1:48 pm – 7:00 pm.
The average classroom size is 13-15 students with a dedicated educator in each classroom. “Our programs are somewhat of a vacillation between high school and college. The expectation for learning is a shared responsibility. Therefore, we must establish lines of support extending both ways; school to home and home to school,” says Williams. Dual enrollment has no tuition or book costs for students, while the high school side of the program offers excelled credit tracks of 18 or 24 earned credits, matching the state of Florida’s required credit amount for a successful graduation.
The technical college side of the school is a work in progress with a clear vision of future use. Led by LTC Executive Director DeAnna Thomas, the school has received a $4 million grant from the state of Florida for phase 1 and recently received approval for another $4 million grant for phase 2 of the LTC campus. Work is in progress to fund the final phase of a 3-part remodel and reuse of the existing structures. LTC currently offers 31 programs in its curriculum with an emphasis on job needss in the Lake County and Central Florida area.
“There is currently over 50,000 square feet of buildings and additional campus space that the Lake County School District will allow full use and governance to LTC under the charter sponsor agreement to facilitate quick and effective workforce training programs in high-demand occupations with medium to high wage earnings for both adults and career dual-enrolled students,” says Thomas.
HVAC, HVAC apprentice programs, and electrician education are some of the first classes to roll out in phase 1 of the LTC. “The next phase will include the introduction to construction classes, practical nursing, bakery and pastry programs, forklift operation, and dental assistant certifications. The dental program will include a community dental clinic on campus as well as a community bakery and culinary facility on campus,” says Thomas.
A 14,000 square foot gym that was constructed when the original school was built decades ago is being retrofitted to accommodate the HVAC and electrician work area. The renovation will also include space for a mechatronics lab that integrates mechanical engineering, electronic engineering, electrical engineering, and software engineering.
Plans are also underway to partner with CareerSource to implement a satellite office on the Clermont campus. CareerSource assists individuals who are unemployed or underemployed in finding career-related jobs in their chosen fields.
The Clermont campus, in collective partnership, stands as the first non-traditional high school for Lake County and a unique model for the country, as it allows students to earn a high school diploma with a flexible schedule while also earning industry certifications and dual enrollment credits all in one location. Before the Clermont location, students would have to travel to the Eustis campus daily for career-related courses. A journey that was not always easy or affordable to many students in the south lake community is now only a few miles away for those that call South Lake County home.
For the native Clermont residents that remember the decades old history of this once segregated school, it is refreshing to see a part of Clermont’s rich history not only preserved but fitted to serve the present generation of youth and many generations yet to come. The preservation and this partnership likely would not have been born had it not been for the tenacity and dedication of Clermont native Sharon Keys and the loyal members of the Lincoln Park South Lake Alliance that stood strong on a dream that has become reality.
Visit www.LakeTech.org and www.Lake.K12.FL.US for more information regarding programs, schedules and enrollment opportunities.
