Former mayor was instrumental in bringing the school to Plant City.
Schools (HCPS) asked the community for ideas for the name of the new technical college in Plant City, 230 names were submitted. One name got twice as many nominations as all the other names combined: Rick Lott. “This was really his baby going all the way back,” Mayor Nate Kilton said. “I think it is really a great legacy for him.”
Ten years ago, when Lott was a part of the boosters for Plant City High School, he observed that many students were graduating, but didn’t have a career path in front of them. Fast forward to 2020, when COVID hit, Lott was the mayor of Plant City. The HCPS superintendent came to meet with Lott and asked him what Plant City needed. Lott, without missing a beat, told him a technical school. Lott continued to push hard to bring a public technical school here. However, one of several obstacles was that there wasn’t a good location available for the school. Lott was instrumental in negotiating a land swap so HCPS could obtain the site where the school is being built. Lott credited the fortitude of the School Board, the City of Plant City, and others who overcame several hurdles to make the technical College a reality.
“As far as the naming of the school, it is an honor,” Lott said. “I am very grateful, and I thank the School Board for making that decision. But what I am really excited about is, I really think this is an asset to Plant City. This new technical college was a need in our community. We have a strong public school system preparing students that are college-bound. But there was a big hole in our community since there was no option for students, or our adults, who wanted to get into the trades and get certifications in HVAC, welding, and other hands-on fields. Now we have a dedicated college that can give those that are not college-bound the same hope to be able to go out there and be their best. I am thrilled about this being in our community. We are a proud blue-collar city. We have blue-collar values and a blue-collar work ethic. I think that is what sets Plant City apart from other communities, and I am grateful we have this new technical school to extend those opportunities to anyone who wants to go down that path to work toward a good quality of life. Those are the roots I came from. My dad worked for Tampa Electric, plus we farmed. My mom was a postal carrier. The blue-collar work provided a great life for our family. So, now, students are going to be able to go to the high schools of their choice, and like those students that dual enroll at HCC, students who want to work in the trades can have the same sort of opportunity to dual enroll at the technical college and walk away after high school with the certifications of their choice. That is huge.”
The Rick Lott Technical College will open this Fall.
