Retiring DeSoto County Supt. of Education Milton Kuykendall helped to place DeSoto County in the fast lane of economic growth with helping to build the state's top performing and fastest-growing school district.

Make that the road to prosperity. And now Kuykendall has a street named in his honor.

Kuykendall has long championed the importance of career and technical education as an option for graduating high school students.

Kuykendall, set to leave office at the end of the year after 12 years leading Mississippi's largest school district, worked to have two Career Technology Centers located in the county, offering programs such as health sciences, informational technology, woodworking and automotive technician courses to high school students.

As the new Career Tech Center-West campus is being completed in Horn Lake, city officials Tuesday made sure the man who has had a significant impact on education in Horn Lake and in the district as a whole is not forgotten.

Thanks to the passage of a resolution by the Board of Aldermen, the street leading to the new CTC-West has the address of 1005 Kuykendall Lane. That action was celebrated in a special ceremony at the campus entrance Tuesday morning.

"I'm honored, surprised but honored," Kuykendall said about having a street being named for him. "It's just a special thing that I've had with this community for a long time. I'm extremely honored and flattered that they would name a street after me."

The street extends from Highway 51 north of Nail Road past the CTC-West building to Interstate Blvd. south of Goodman Road.

It originally became a dead end east of Highway 51, but new construction made the extension for the career education facility.

"This building has been sort of a dream of mine that I wanted to build," Kuykendall said about the school that will have Kuykendall Lane as it street address. "We basically built this thing by saving a little money every year. I wanted to build this building for those kids who come through the program here and end up making more money than the principals here, where otherwise they might be a dropout."

The $13 million building will contain more than 62,000 square feet of classroom space. It will not be finished completely in time for the first day of classes on Aug. 5, but enough of the school will be done to allow all classes to be held inside.

Horn Lake Mayor Allen Latimer said Tuesday was a special day for the city.

"Supt. Kuykendall has always been a part of this community," Latimer said. "He has done everything he could for, not just the community, but for the children and students in the community."

Alderman Donnie "Chigger" White said he has known Kuykendall since before he came to DeSoto County and naming the street for him was more than appropriate.

"When we got the opportunity to name the street after him, it was an honor to do that," White said. "He's probably touched thousands of lives of children who have come through here in the schools. He started touching lives the day he came here to Horn Lake. I'm honored to stand on the same ground he stands on."

Bob Bakken is Staff Writer and may be reached at 662-429-6397 ext. 240.