Construction of the consolidated Christian County High School began in September 2023, and Executive Principal Ken Carver talked about the work that needs to be completed before the school opens in August at Thursday’s Hopkinsville Kiwanis Club meeting.
The new school is located off Lovers Lane near the Murray State Regional Campus, and it will combine the student bodies of Hopkinsville High School and Christian County High School. Before Carver was announced as the school’s executive principal in May 2025, he was the principal of Muhlenberg County High School.
The school is divided into four academies: the Agriculture and Skilled Trades Academy, the Business, Engineering and Manufacturing Academy, the Health and Community Services Academy and the Freshman Success Academy. The school will house the classes that are currently being taught at Gateway Academy.
Each academy will have a principal, assistant principal, a school resource officer and two guidance counselors. Carver says the school will have a recommended 250-to-1 ratio of students to counselors.
While each academy will focus on certain career paths, Carver says they will all have core subject classes as well. He says core subject teachers will be able to collaborate with skilled trade teachers to apply what students are learning in their career pathways to class curriculum.
Carver says the school’s academy model depends heavily on community and business partnerships to help provide real world learning opportunities.
Before the school opens, Carver says they need to complete the school’s master schedule, hire more staff, assign classrooms, develop a school mission and plan to host open houses. Carver says they should receive a certificate of occupancy on May 1, and he wants to get as many people in the building as possible for open houses before the 2026-27 school year starts.
Once the consolidated school opens, Carver says the current Christian County High School will house alternative learning programs such as Bluegrass Learning Academy and the Virtual Learning Academy. Then, Hopkinsville High School’s gymnasium and pool will remain in use, but Carver says the rest of the building will be demolished and turned into green space.