TURNERS FALLS — As students settle in to the new school year at Franklin County Technical School, staff say they have exciting new options to look forward to.

The 177 incoming ninth grade students will have the opportunity to explore 14 different vocational programs before picking a program of study in January, according to Rick Martin, Franklin County Technical School’s superintendent. Making its debut is the school’s aviation program, the hangar for which is currently being built.

While the hangar comes together, the school will partner with the Turners Falls Municipal Airport, their next-door neighbor, said Martin.

“So for those that are adventurous and may be thinking outside the box of Franklin County, it’s a program that kind of allows you to fly your way out,” Martin said in an interview in June.

Additionally, staff are making the final touches to the new veterinary science building, which has a variety of equipment, including a surgery room and two large-screen televisions from which students can watch surgeries live.

Although the veterinary science program is in its fifth year, this is the first year students will have the opportunity to learn in a clinic-like setting, complete with new ultrasound machines, a space for grooming and a full medical lab. Previously, Martin explained, the program operated out of a converted chemistry classroom.

“This whole … building was something that I dreamt up a while ago, and here we are,” Martin said. “With the support of our School Committee and community, we were able to do this entire building.”

Additionally, the school will be offering a new Advanced Placement course this year — AP Pre-Calculus. Principal Brian Spadafino said there are currently students in ninth and 12th grade enrolled in the course. He noted the school is in the final stages of hiring a new assistant principal, the identity of whom is yet to be announced.

Adult education courses

Students aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the school’s new offerings, Adult Education Coordinator Justin Lawrence explained.

The program is debuting an Adult Education Catalog that details all the different courses, ranging from technical training in partnership with the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center to hobby courses on a variety of subjects, including arts and crafts, languages, cooking, and stand-up comedy.

At three years old, Lawrence said the adult education program is still in its “infancy,” but he emphasized that it is expanding each semester.

This year, the program is partnering for the first time with Ed2Go, a site offering online courses, including introductory Spanish, American Sign Language, web design and digital photography.

Lawrence said he is looking for suggestions from the community for how the program can expand to meet its community’s needs.

“[The catalog] went to over 29,000 mailboxes in Franklin County to share with them … our adult ed program,” Lawrence said. “I’ve had over 15 voice messages every day since it started hitting mailboxes. We’ve gotten a lot of good responses.”

For more information on Adult Education offerings, visit https://www.fcts.us/apps/pages/adulted.