Magoffin County High School

On August 2, 2016, representatives from Community Ventures (CV) attended the grand opening and ribbon cutting of the new Magoffin County High School in Salyersville, Kentucky. The project, which began in 2012, was funded in part by $10 million in New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) from CV.
Magoffin County, which sits just southeast of the Daniel Boone National Forest, endured devastating tornado damage in March of 2012 that saw the middle school and many other homes and properties throughout the county destroyed. After four years of cramming both the high school and middle school staff and student body into one building, Magoffin County will be opening the doors of their new high school to the public this August.
The new school sits at 130,000 square feet and features a full cafeteria, library, gym, multi-use and specialized classrooms, and administrative offices. CV and Dakotas America, a Community Development Entity in South Dakota focused on NMTC projects, funded the construction and completion of the school’s offsite baseball and softball fields, tennis courts, and on-site gymnasium and football field. The project, which cost $40 million dollars to finance, comes at a crucial time for Magoffin County, as the county turns its focus towards to creating new jobs for skilled labor and putting their students in colleges across the country.
“We hope, with this facility here, to provide [success] for our students and that we will be able to do that for generations to come,” said new superintendent Scott Helton during his speech.
The event featured superintendent Helton, former superintendent Stanley Holbrook, new principal Willie Cole, the Magoffin County school board, and Magoffin County Mayor, Stanley Howard. Holbrook who retired in July was a powerful force in driving the project forward and was celebrated at the event with applause and praise from the crowd.

The school is set to open its doors on August 10, 2016, alongside the rest of the county’s educational system.