Lonoke High-paying jobs

Through a partnership with the Greenway John Deere dealership and with help from the state, the Lonoke School District is teaching students to maintain the company’s most up-to-date equipment – including, soon, autonomous tractors. Students can go straight from high school to the dealership, where they can start at $40,000-plus and soon earn more. It’s part of the Lonoke Business Academy, where students can also learn about diesel mechanics, industrial technology, agriculture, and rural health care. Superintendent Jeff Senn, right, said the Academy is giving students the skills they need for local jobs. It exists largely because Elizabeth Anderson, left, then a local resident and now a school board member, spearheaded the millage campaign.