School History

School's History

The old Picadome School on Harrodsburg Road at McCubbin’s Lane, in summer 1978. The school was demolished that November to make way for a vocational school, now Southside Technical Center. This was the third school building to carry the Picadome name. The original “little” Picadome school was built in 1888 on Harrodsburg Road. In 1912, a new school was built on the site of the current Picadome Elementary, and it became known as the second “little” Picadome. The “big” Picadome School, pictured here, was built in 1923. When Lafayette High School opened in 1939, it became Picadome Elementary.  Photo by E. Martin Jessee | Staff

Southside Technical Center was established on its current site as Southside Vocational School in 1980.  The school was renamed to the Southside Center for Applied Arts and Technology and eventually renamed as its current name.  The original name means exactly what the school is: a school to educate students in a certain vocational area.  This training is both pre-training for apprenticeships, community college, university education or for entry-level acceptance into a career field.  Although the programs in the building have changed through the years, the focus remains on providing students with an exceptional educational opportunity.  Our goal is for students to take the education they gain with us and build upon that in the workforce directly after high school or to continue the opportunity at a post-secondary educational institution.