A new era of high school education in Kootenai County leaped forward on Tuesday.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the Kootenai Technical Education Campus, a technical-professional school that will offer classes in skilled trades to juniors and seniors in the Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Lakeland school districts.

The 54,000-square-foot school, which will open next fall at the southwest corner of Meyer and Lancaster roads in Rathdrum, will offer programs such as health occupations, welding, construction and automotive.

"You're setting the example for the rest of the state," Idaho School Superintendent Tom Luna told about 150 attending the ceremony. "Other districts are paying attention because they want to duplicate the success."

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter said such business-education partnerships are needed throughout the state because about 5,000 Idaho high school students drop out per year.

"That happens because, in some cases, (education) simply isn't relevant," Otter said. "I know that, somewhere in these classrooms, will be the next generation of products of medical services. As this building goes up, look to it as a temple for the future."

Voters in the three local school districts approved $9.5 million in financing for KTEC a year ago.

The Meyer family, which donated 10 of the 20 acres for the site, was recognized during the ceremony.

The late legislator Wayne Meyer, who died of cancer in 2009, was a part of the vision for the school.

"I believe he's here today, looking down," said a teary-eyed Ron Nilson, CEO of Ground Force Worldwide and among the business partners behind KTEC.

Mark Cotner, who will be KTEC's administrator, was executive director of the Canyon-Owyhee School Service Agency, a similar consortium to KTEC in Wilder since 2003.

"The focus is not about building another school; it's about changing kids' lives," he said.

Nilson said a reason for building KTEC is keeping local students here.

"Let's create jobs here, create education here and keep our kids at home," he said.

Otter also attended a groundbreaking on Tuesday for Ground Force Worldwide across Seltice Way from Ground Force Manufacturing.

Ground Force Worldwide is the holding company that owns Ground Force Manufacturing, the future UnderGround Force and Ground Force Worldwide locations in the United Kingdom and Peru.

The firms manufacture mining equipment for companies around the world.

UnderGround Force, which will specialize in the underground mining sector, will employ about 150.