The upcoming Bobcat Bash will give prospective students and community members a chance to learn about the innovative 865 Academies at Central High School, while the school earns money to help fund program enhancements.
That’s why you must put Thursday, April 2, 2026, on your calendar. The third annual Bobcat Bash will run from 5-7 p.m. at the school. This is also the school’s open house. This link tells what will be there and includes registration for the car show.
Central High has a different vibe than it did 20 years ago when this writer visited the school every Tuesday and wrote extensive features with help from the late Connie Wilkes.
Last week I toured the school with student ambassador Kate Cooper and Cassidy Taylor, academy coach. Quickly, there are four academies, each with a principal and a counselor:
Freshman Academy: All ninth graders are enrolled; classes are confined to one wing; in addition to academics, the kids explore careers by visiting colleges, hearing business speakers. They sort through the other academies to see which best fits their interests.
Academy of Health & Life Science: Careers include nursing education, medical therapeutic services, agriculture, and human services. I visited the labs where three medical dummies, one which talks, are treated by students. The teachers – Christopher Hammond and Whitney Justice – sit behind a two-way mirror to watch and direct. Teens take responsibility for blood pressure checks, injections, moving patients from bed to wheelchair, bed pans and oxygen monitoring among other tasks.
This dummy at Central Med gets dozens of injections daily
Taylor said a dummy costs $20K-$30K. Central received a $1 million grant to buy equipment and reconfigure classrooms. “We built a $500,000 hospital – Central Med – inside our school.” She said South College and LMU are partners who come in to help and Covenant Health has been a supporter.
Academy of Business & Design: If the folks in the academy above are about helping people, this academy is home to the business leaders now and tomorrow. Careers include digital arts and design, entrepreneurship, and marketing management.
Merchandize at Central Station, designed by students
These money makers operate Central Station, a store with snacks and merchandise they’ve created. They do “pop-ups” at events and can make up to $700 a day, Taylor said. Their profit is recycled as the folks who make the money decide which academy to support each year. And, of course, they can’t spend it all because there is inventory to buy for next year. I see accountants and CFOs here, as well as creative risk-takers who may be the next Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg.
Studio Central has lighting and equipment to make professional photos and record interviews. These students handle social media for the school, take pictures for sporting events and musicals, and this year will coordinate the Fountain City Christmas Parade.
Aaron Hankins
Academy of Modern Industry & Technology: Careers include automotive maintenance and light repair, automotive collision repair, and cyber security. Aaron Hankins is an instructor. He is also a graduate of the program (2005) at Central, then taught by Ron Smiddy and Doug Jones. Hankins said the academies would not be possible without business partners. For instance, a popular event at the Bobcat Bash is the smash car. Pull A Part Knoxville donates the car, brings it to campus and hauls it away. Meanwhile, the academy students will paint it to enhance ticket sales. “We may put our rivals (think Halls, Powell, Fulton) on the panels,” Hankins joked.
Cybersecurity is taught by Michael Fox, so the students call themselves “Fox’s Fixers.” “They wear logo vests and maintain the computers within the school. During the summer some of them work for the district,” Taylor said.
As a person who accused Superintendent Jon Rysewyk of just rebranding CTE as 865 Academies, I must admit that after three years, the program at Central High is better. The CTE students were segregated by space and attitude. These classes are integrated throughout the building and inclusive – everybody in an academy. It’s the best high school program I’ve seen that lets kids be kids – that respects their creativity and makes it OK to make mistakes.
It’s worth supporting, folks, so attend the Bobcat Bash on April 2. Good stuff is happening at Central.
Note: So much to say, we’re writing two columns today. I would be happy to contact your school to explore how the 865 Academies are working. Just drop me a note at sandra.clark@knoxtntoday.com/.
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