The Renaming & Grand Re-Opening of
Ben Barber Career & Technology Academy
B
en Barber Career & Technology Academy will now
be called Ben Barber Innovation Academy (BBIA).
The renaming was approved at a called board meeting on
Sept. 19.
The name change comes on the day a grand re-opening
ceremony was held to celebrate the school’s expansion
and renovations.
“We wanted the name change to reflect the additional
programs that we have,” said Principal Catherine
Hudgins. “We’re preparing students for the workforce,
which we are very proud of; but we’re also preparing
students for college readiness.”
BBIA is a school that is open to all MISD high school
students and offers specific career and technology courses,
ranging from health science and law to manufacturing and
culinary arts. Frontier High School consists of students
who take advantage of BBIA classes full time.
The state-of-the-art facility was first dedicated in 2005.
The campus equipment and labs are kept up to date
to keep up with the ever-changing technology and
techniques used in the real world.
The new logo was created by graphic design
student Ethan Brown.
The fall 2016 renovations include:
• Three new culinary kitchens
• A brand-new Savvy’s Bistro restaurant
• Additional welding shops
• A machine shop for our new Computer
Numeric Control (CNC) program
Principal Catherine Hudgins (middle) and Ben Barber’s daughter
(third from left) posed with MISD Board Members with the
rededication plaque.
New “smart” hospital rooms will
enhance patient training for health
science students.
Additional welding shops will
give students a more hands-on
experience.
• A “living” hospital (complete with state-
of-the-art patient care manikins)
• A new pharmacy
• A new video production lab
• A new print shop
• A more secure entry for the front of the
building
Savvy’s Bistro, the student-run restaurant, received
an expansion and new furniture.
Mansfield School & Family 19