The Alabama School of Healthcare Sciences Foundation has recently appointed Birmingham-based Brasfield and Gorrie as the general contractor and construction manager for the new $62 million healthcare sciences high school campus in Demopolis. This campus is planned to open in fall 2027 and will serve as the state’s fourth residential high school.

The 10-acre campus will feature an academic building, residential hall, dining facilities, a 400-seat auditorium, and a recreational building. The city of Demopolis generously donated the land adjacent to Whitfield Regional Hospital, offering students hands-on training opportunities at the hospital.

“Brasfield and Gorrie has an impeccable reputation for delivering the highest quality work on time — no matter the specifications or unexpected complications,” said Kirk Stephens, President of the foundation board overseeing the project. “They are up to the demands of this project and the hard timelines that must be met.”

Caldwell Associates is the architect behind the campus design. Brasfield and Gorrie’s Vice President and Division Manager Bill Steed expressed enthusiasm about the project’s community impact, stating, “We are grateful that so much of our work directly affects communities, and it’s easy to see how ASHS will extend our state’s health care education.”

The foundation was established as a 501(c)(3) to secure funding beyond state appropriations. The Legislature and Governor Kay Ivey dedicated $15 million to the project in 2024, while Bloomberg Philanthropies has pledged $26.4 million. The foundation continues fundraising efforts to meet the estimated $64 million total project cost, with Kirk Stephens noting, “We are excited at the commitments that have already been made, and we continue to meet the funding goals we have for the school.”

The school will initially operate from a temporary campus at the University of West Alabama while construction is underway. Upon completion, it will serve grades 9 through 12 with a capacity for approximately 400 students statewide. The tuition-free school is aimed at addressing Alabama’s critical shortage of healthcare workers, particularly in rural areas.

Though some legislative leaders initially questioned placing the school in rural west Alabama—since the other residential high schools are in larger cities—a feasibility study ultimately supported the Demopolis location.

The school was first proposed by Governor Ivey in 2023 and received legislative approval in 2024. Scott Huffman, recently named president and CEO of the foundation, brings extensive experience, having helped launch Alabama’s first residential high school nearly 30 years ago.

Originally reported by Mary Sell in Alabama Daily News.