Harpeth High breaks ground on new residential construction CTE facility

Harpeth High School broke ground Aug. 27 on a new facility that will give students in the school’s growing residential construction program a dedicated space to learn the skills of the trade through hands-on experience.

The groundbreaking marked the next step for a program that launched during the 2025-26 school year and has already attracted dozens of students.

School Board members, Town of Kingston Springs officials, representatives from the Tennessee College of Applied Technology and Harpeth students and staff joined school leaders for the ceremony.

The new Residential Construction Career and Technical Education (CTE) facility is designed to take the program beyond the classroom, providing students with access to industry-standard tools, materials and building techniques in a real-world setting.

The program is led by instructor and Pegram Mayor Charles Morehead, who previously taught woodworking at Harpeth Middle School.

Students in the program are learning construction fundamentals, safety, craftsmanship and industry standards while working toward certifications such as OSHA 30. The program is also designed to provide a pathway into additional technical education and careers in the construction industry.

Harpeth's partnership with the Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Nashville will give students opportunities to earn dual enrollment credit as they progress through the program, allowing them to begin postsecondary education and career training while still in high school.

The new facility is being funded through the $1 million Innovative Schools Grant awarded to each high school in the Cheatham County School District to enhance CTE programs.

School officials previously said the facility will include covered workspace and large access doors, allowing students to work on larger construction projects and potentially build items that can be sold or used in the community.

GMC Architects and MDI Construction are overseeing the project.

The facility represents an expansion of the district's effort to give students more opportunities to pursue careers that do not necessarily require a traditional four-year college degree.

“We need people in construction. We need plumbers, HVAC technicians, mechanics,” CTE Coordinator Jennifer Reist said when the program was introduced. “Every student should have the ability to have an education that they want.”

School officials said the new building will allow the residential construction program to continue growing while giving students a more realistic environment in which to develop skills that can translate directly into the workforce.