Alabaster City Schools to open Champions Craft Academy in Fall 2025.
By Barry Wise Smith
For many years, before the Alabaster City School System was established, Alabaster students interested in pursuing technical education traveled to Columbiana to the Career Technical Educational Center.
When Alabaster broke away from Shelby County and founded its own school system in 2013 and when the new Thompson High School opened in 2018, discussions started about how to continue offering craft education to Alabaster students. “We always had it on our radar to create a program, because despite the success of our academies, we still didn’t have the craft piece,” says 12-year Alabaster City Schools (ACS) Superintendent Dr. Wayne Vickers. “We want to be champions for all kids and make sure we have opportunities for everyone.”
As the system explored options, Thompson students went to downtown Birmingham to attend the Academy of Craft Training, but the program was capped at 15 students. “We had dozens of students who wanted to attend but couldn’t,” Vickers says. “We continued to work on partnerships to cover the craft piece, but School Board members Misty Johnson and Adam Moseley were adamant that we needed a program of our own.”
But that meant finding land or a space that could be turned into a technical education center for Alabaster students. Vickers mentions that ACS “has a wonderful relationship with our community churches,” which led to a conversation between the School Board and the leadership of First United Methodist Church of Alabaster about purchasing the church’s Restore contemporary worship center located in the old Winn Dixie grocery store.
Vickers says the church offered the 51,000-square-foot space “at a cost we couldn’t turn down,” so in March 2024, the School Board purchased the building for approximately $1.9 million. “It was a perfect opportunity for us,” Vickers says. “It’s a six-minute drive from THS and is perfect for what we need.”
The system has contracted with McKee & Associates architects and Volkert Construction and will spend about $4 million to convert the space to house CCA. “It’s a win-win for everyone,” Vickers says. “We’re excited we’re able to make this a reality in the heart of our community.”
While the Alabaster City Empowering Success (ACES) program is already operating in the space, in August 2025, the Champions Craft Academy (CCA) will begin offering career technical education in Construction technology, electrical, and welding-industrial fabrication. Dr. Amanda Wilbanks will serve as the Academy’s chief academic officer, Michael Lee will be the administrator, and Jayden Kidd will serve as the Academy’s transition specialist.
Over 220 students applied to attend CCA, with 139 students interviewed and accepted for the first year (the system’s goal for the first year was 140-150 students). On Parent Information Night, over 250 parents showed up to learn more about the program. “We’re so excited to see the program start,” Vickers says. “We’re building something that the community can be proud of.”
With almost 100 industry partners, CCA will be a premier workforce development facility that will create lucrative career pathways for students. “When our kids walk across that stage at graduation, we want them to have opportunities for success in their chosen field,” Vickers continues. “Our job is to connect these students to professional opportunities, and our goal is that they gain the confidence and skills they need to succeed, and their next step is to get a real-world job. We want to be a leader in workforce development.”
CCA has drawn attention from outside the system, receiving a $667,000 grant from Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth and a $200,000 ACI Craft Training grant. In addition to technical education, CCA students will also learn soft skills: interviewing, resumé creation, professional etiquette, and business skills.
Plans include adding HVAC and heavy equipment operation programs and entrepreneurial education. “We are incorporating possibilities for expansion, but we want smart growth and industry-driven development,” Vickers says.
“I’m proud of our community for championing this,” Vickers says. “We’ve accomplished this vision through collaboration and teamwork between the school system, the city, and the community. This is going to pay dividends for our community for 20 years and more into the future. It’s the final piece of the puzzle.”
