The Brief
• A $45.5 million modernization project is underway at the Kennewick School District’s Tri-Tech Skills Center to expand career pathways and prepare students for high-demand jobs
• The 66,000-square-foot upgrade will replace aging infrastructure from the original 1981 building, modernize classrooms, and improve safety systems while increasing capacity to serve up to 600 students
• Seven programs are temporarily relocated for the 2025-26 school year, with all programs scheduled to return to the upgraded campus for the 2026-27 school year
KENNEWICK, Wash. — Steel beams are rising at the Tri-Tech Skills Center as construction crews work on a major modernization project designed to prepare Tri-Cities students for high-demand careers.
The $45.5 million upgrade will transform the 66,000-square-foot facility, replacing aging infrastructure inside the school’s original 1981 building while modernizing classrooms and improving safety systems. The project will increase capacity to serve up to 600 students when completed in July 2026.
“The state of Washington is recognizing that there’s an aging skilled workforce out there,” said Paul Randall, Tri-Tech Skills Center director. “We have 17 skill centers in the state, and this is a way to skill up and prepare young people for a fantastic career in any of their crafts.”
The skills center serves approximately 1,100 juniors and seniors from eight school districts across the Tri-Cities, offering tuition-free, hands-on training in more than 20 career-connected programs. Participating districts include Kennewick, Pasco, Richland, Finley, Columbia Burbank, Kiona-Benton City, North Franklin, and Prosser, along with home-school and online school students.
Programs span multiple industries, including transportation and industry fields like auto body technology, auto systems technology, diesel technology, and welding technology. Health and human services offerings include pre-nursing, pre-physical therapy, dental assisting, veterinary technician, and early childhood education. The center also provides skilled trades training in construction, pre-electrical, and firefighting/EMS, along with arts and technology programs such as digital arts and filmmaking, video game design, broadcasting/audio engineering, and computer science/cybersecurity.
Seven programs are temporarily housed at the Fruitland Building and Columbia Basin College during the 2025-26 school year due to construction. The displaced programs include dental assisting, digital arts and filmmaking, early childhood education, video game design, auto systems, diesel systems, and welding technology.
For students in medical programs, the upgrades mean learning in spaces that better reflect real-world workplaces. Kiersten Mattioa, a Chiawana High School senior in the physical therapy program, said the experience has shaped her career goals.
“I’ve always wanted to go into the medical field. I thought I wanted to be a PT assistant for PT, but this class made me realize I want to be a NICU nurse,” Mattioa said.
Mattioa, whose family works in the medical field, said her personal experiences have motivated her career choice.
“Personally, I’ve spent a lot of time in doctor’s appointments and hospitals with my personal health stuff, so I just want to help other people like people helped me,” she said.
The construction project addresses critical safety improvements, including the replacement of electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and roofing systems to meet current safety standards. The facility is being reconfigured to meet modern fire suppression and seismic safety requirements, bringing the building into compliance with the 2015 International Building Code and the Washington State Non-Residential Energy Code.
Additional upgrades include environmental and energy improvements for better air quality and lighting efficiency, along with enhanced security systems and modernized classroom technology.
The project receives funding through the state capital budget, with support from local lawmakers and the City of Kennewick.
“Our students are planning for their future very well,” Randall said. “They’ll be able to graduate, finish their program, and enter a career path without taking on student debt.”
All displaced programs are scheduled to return to the main campus for the 2026-27 school year. Registration for that academic year opened in January 2026, with the application window for new students typically closing in late February.
While the current project focuses on existing programs, future expansions could include training for pharmacy technicians and HVAC or plumbing technicians. The upgraded facility will support expanded programs in health care and skilled trades that are in high demand across the Tri-Cities region.
Construction on the Tri-Tech modernization is expected to wrap up by July 2026, with the upgraded facility ready for the start of the 2026-27 school year.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY APPLE VALLEY NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.