The Delaware Area Career Center marked a major milestone on April 16, 2026, breaking ground on a 100,000-square-foot building project that will expand the district's capacity to serve students, adults, and the Delaware County community for years to come. The ceremony brought together community leaders, business partners, board members, students, and staff to celebrate more than fifty years of growth and to look ahead to what comes next.
"This groundbreaking is not the beginning," said DACC Superintendent Jay Poroda. "It is the next chapter of a story we have been writing together as a community since 1974."
The project includes 50,000 square feet of new construction and 50,000 square feet of renovated space. When complete, it will allow DACC to expand programming in Cosmetology and Health Sciences, launch new programs in Electrical Trades and Practical Nursing, and create flexible learning environments designed to meet workforce needs the region hasn't yet fully anticipated.
The expansion reflects a decade of growth. DACC's enrollment has increased 94 percent since fiscal year 2015, growing from 725 students to 1,408 – a pace that has outgrown the district's current facilities.
"This expansion is an investment in every family in our community," said Board of Education President Ted Backus, who has served on the DACC board for nearly two decades. "It means more students in and around Delaware County will have access to the programs they need. It means more adults will find a path forward here. It means DACC will remain the community hub it has always been and become an even stronger one."
At its heart, DACC serves as a community resource and regional economic engine. DACC students go on to work in Delaware County's hospitals, businesses, fire stations, construction sites, salons, and restaurants, becoming the credentialed workforce that makes the region function. Elementary students visit the campus to begin imagining future careers. Adults return in the evenings and on weekends to build new skills and change career paths. Business partners engage with DACC because it is where the region's future workforce is being shaped.
"DACC is not just a school," Poroda said. "We are a community hub and an economic hub. When we invest in DACC, we invest in Delaware County's future."
The ceremony featured remarks from Jen Fuller, Project Executive at Fanning-Howey; Eric Bull, President of Elford, Inc.; Board President Ted Backus; and Superintendent Jay Poroda. Nine student volunteers representing programs and partner schools from across the district joined the ceremony, a visible reminder of who this project is ultimately for.
Many partners who made this project possible, including the DACC Board of Education, Treasurer Christopher Bell, construction team members Tom Marchetti, Dave Gilliam, and Brad Dement, Owner's Representative Anne Frost of MCS Associates, Construction Manager at Risk Elford Construction, and architect Fanning-Howey.
"Our foundation is strong. Our plans are bold," Poroda said. "And now, with gratitude, pride, and great anticipation, it is time to build."
Thank you to our Board of Education:
Ted Backus, President, Representing Delaware City Schools
Brice Clawson, Vice-President, Representing Big Walnut Local School District
Susan Kish, Member, Representing the ESC of Central Ohio
Dr. Kevin Daberkow, Representing Olentangy Schools
Donald Dicke, Representing Buckeye Valley School District
Thank you to our Student Ambassador Volunteers:
Graham Jones , Senior | Healthcare Technician and Delaware Hayes High School
Kyndall Belcher, Senior | Healthcare Technician-CNA and Westerville North High School
Kisha Goyal, Junior | Biotechnology and Olentangy Liberty High School
Caleb Layne, Senior | Construction Technology and Olentangy Orange High School
Diego Jimenez, Senior | Engineering: Robotics, Automation, and Design and Worthington Kilbourne High School
Sarah Scholl, Senior | Medical Assisting and Olentangy Berlin High School
Hannah Milburn, Senior | Nail Technician and Big Walnut High School
Sam Quigley, Junior | Welding and Sheet Metal Fabrication and Thomas Worthington High School
Noah Biniker, Junior | Digital Design and Homeschooled
Photo Credit:
Zecheriah Bowie, Zelo Media and DACC Alumnus