Above is a mock-up of the final version of the career center as it will look once completed (Photo provided by Mascoutah School District)
By Zachary Daum
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MASCOUTAH — The former Dollar General building on Jefferson Street is being transformed into a new career and technical education facility for the Mascoutah School District, with district officials aiming to have the project completed and operational by August 2026.
The new facility, named the Mascoutah Career Center, or “MC²,” will serve as an off-campus extension of Mascoutah High School’s Career and Technical Education (CTE) program, with a strong focus on building trades and hands-on construction experience.
Superintendent Dr. David Deets said the project is the result of years of discussion about expanding vocational education opportunities for students.
“I really think the whole concept of this building came out of a culmination of the last couple of years,” Deets said. “The board, administration and our team, and really our community, have had a willingness and a vision of making CTE and vocational education a priority and bringing that back.”
The name, pronounced “MC Squared” was developed by district grant director Jeanine Sheppard while district officials were brainstorming names for the program, as a play on E=mc².
District leaders said the facility is intended to give students real-world construction experience while exposing them to a variety of trades. Students may work on projects such as sheds, framing walls, electrical wiring, plumbing, drywall installation and painting.
2027/2028 school year Mascoutah High School Principal Nick Seibert said the district wants to make career pathway programs more accessible for students.
“We want to remove all the barriers that would have a student not want to potentially look into any CTE pathway that we have,” Seibert said. “It gives everybody a chance to have a career pathway that they may not have thought was possible to learn in high school.”
According to district information, the district purchased the building for approximately $700,000. Phase 1 renovations are expected to cost about $620,000, with another $200,000 set aside for possible water damage remediation and related repairs. The district has also budgeted about $125,000 for startup materials and equipment.
Renovations include work on walls, doors, storefront areas, ceilings, plumbing, electrical systems and fire suppression systems.
Superintendent Deets said the idea to purchase the building came together quickly after the property became available.
“One of the board members half-jokingly said, ‘Hey, we should buy the Dollar General,’” Deets said. “We started listing all the reasons what that building could do, and I called the board back and said, ‘I actually think this would be a great purchase.’”
He added that the district viewed the project as a cost-effective opportunity to expand programming space.
“Even with all the renovations we’re doing, we’re still under about $170 a square foot,” Deets said. “You can’t build or do anything for that cost these days.”
The district currently partners with the Collinsville Area Vocational Center and other regional vocational cooperatives, but officials said many students have expressed interest in staying closer to Mascoutah High School for trade-related courses.
“One of the things we heard is that a lot of kids don’t want to leave campus,” Deets said. “They don’t want to leave their friends, they don’t want to leave the school.”
Students participating in the program will be transported to the site using district buses or activity buses. Administrators said they are still working through scheduling details but expect students involved in the program to spend part of their school day at MC² before returning to the high school.
District officials are also working to develop partnerships with local businesses and organizations, including discussions with local Ace Hardware owner Bill Millikin regarding tools, supplies and future collaboration opportunities.
Long-term goals for the program include larger community-based projects, including rehabilitation work and eventually constructing a home in the community.
“We eventually want to build a house in the community,” Deets said. “That is one of our goals within the next few years.”
Seibert said projects like that could leave a lasting impact on students.
“What a sense of pride those kids can have years and years to come,” Seibert said. “They can bring their family back and say, ‘I had a part in that.’”
District officials also connected MC² to larger expansion plans already underway at Mascoutah High School. An additional academic wing focused heavily on CTE programming is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by fall 2028.
Deets said the district’s overall focus is preparing students for whatever path they choose after graduation.
“It’s not just college anymore,” Deets said. “It’s career preparation, military preparation, whatever pathway students want to pursue. This is another extension of providing resources and opportunities for all children to be successful after high school.”
