The Pikes Peak Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, on Thursday took a critical step toward an ambitious undertaking that officials say will help rural El Paso County students forge a path toward a lucrative career without necessarily attending college.

In an 8-1 vote, the El Paso County Planning Commission approved the location for a proposed 86-acre secondary education campus for vocational training. The project will be built on an existing BOCES property, located near the intersection of Judge Orr and Elbert roads near Peyton, according to proposal documents.

Commission member Tim Trowbridge cast the lone dissenting vote.

The plan, according to BOCES officials, is to build a tuition-free vocational training center, similar to the Manufacturing Industry Learning Lab (MiLL) in Colorado Springs, for students in rural school districts including Big Sandy, Calhan, Edison, Elbert, Ellicott, Hanover, Miami-Yoder and Peyton.

While the larger districts in Colorado Springs have expanded their Career and Technical Education programs in recent years, outlying districts have not followed suit, said Pat Bershinsky, Pikes Peak BOCES executive director.

“We’ve done an excellent job of sending kids to college in the state of Colorado,” Bershinsky said. “But I think we’ve missed the boat on vocational education.”

The proposed trade school is a response to a growing demand for skilled workers, a lack of qualified candidates, and a student survey that suggests a strong interest in vocational training, according to project manager Bill Guman.

“The kids in these districts were polled and asked, ‘What are you going to do after you leave high school? Would you consider being part of a program that would train you in a profession?’” Guman said. “We learned that there is an overwhelming interest in these kinds of programs.”

BOCES’ vision for the complex includes facilities for training in a broad range of disciplines, including construction, culinary, heavy equipment operation and carpentry. The campus will also include affordable housing, which officials plan to offer as part of an incentive package for prospective teachers and instructors.

“We’re hoping to make (the rural trade school) an attractive option for teachers, as opposed to going to work in (Academy) D-20, (Colorado Springs) D-11 or other districts where housing is less affordable,” Guman said.

The homes, which will be available only to staff members, are a crucial recruiting and retention tool, Bershinsky said.

“Part of the problem that we have in rural districts — or any districts — are instructors,” said Bershinsky, former superintendent of Edison School District 54-JT. “It’s imperative that we do something to attract and retain quality staff in our rural districts.”

After Guman and Bershinsky made their presentation to the commission, chairman Thomas Bailey opened up the hearing to public comment.

“The concept (of a rural trade school), I think pretty much everybody in this room thinks is a great idea,” Bailey said. “The location may be problematic for some.”

Residents who live near the proposed campus expressed concerns about a possible decrease in property values, increased traffic and noise, crime and other issues.

“Families moved out to Old West Ranch to create a safe and peaceful home away from the city and we are very protective of our quiet community and the agriculture land surrounding us,” said Laura Moody, in a written statement.

Other residents bristled at Bershinsky’s comment, made earlier this year, that the location is “in the middle of nowhere.”

“I disagree with that,” said Peyton resident Tom Elliott. “We are five miles from Safeway and over 50 other commercial businesses, and a little under 2 miles from an airport. We’re as close to Falcon as Falcon High School. Are we really in the middle of nowhere?”

Commission vice chair Jay Carlson said that while some residents feel that the proposed trade school will threaten the rural way of life, he believes it could have the opposite effect.

“Kids and teens who live in rural communities will often leave because of the lack of educational opportunities there,” Carlson said. “If they can get vocational training nearby, more of them would stay. That would help preserve the rural way of life.”

After the commission voted in favor of the location, Trowbridge, the lone “No” vote, said he was concerned about the approval process. Typically, after the commission approves a proposal, the issue is sent to the El Paso County Board of Commissioners for final approval. On Thursday, the planning commission’s approval was the final word.

“I think this is an abuse of the process,” Trowbridge said, while not elaborating.

BOCES officials expect the campus buildout to take five to 10 years.

“At the end of the day, we’re about kids, and we’re about creating programs,” Bershinsky said. “This program will fill a need that has been growing for years.”