ST. GEORGE — With the excitement of a new school year approaching, the Washington County School District is ready to open its newest high school.
According to a press release, Career Tech High School is scheduled to open by the beginning of the school year. Teachers will start preparations for the new school year on Aug. 8 and students will begin their new school year one week later.
Career Tech High School is a new, comprehensive high school that offers eight distinct programs, or pathway areas of study, that focus on career and technical education.
Students select their program of choice when applying for admission and will follow a four-year sequence of courses specific to their program area. The alternative school is not a boundary school, the release said, and is open to all students living in Washington County.
“Education is changing rapidly and we want to be part of that change,” Career Tech Principal Chris Homer said in the news release. “We believe that CTHS will be a different and special place, where our students will have a reason to attend school every day, or as we like to say, be able to find their ‘why at CT High.’”
Given the school’s remote location, the district will bus students from their boundary schools, such as Snow Canyon, Pine View and Hurricane, to CT High School. The school is located at 1001 East White Dome Drive in St. George near state Route 7 and River Road.
Career Tech currently has 550 students enrolled to start the 2023 -24 school year. With only 25 seniors enrolled, most of the students will be freshmen and sophomores.
Students can choose their coursework in one of the following pathways: Construction and Architecture, Information Technology and Cyber Security, Graphic Design and Digital Marketing, Health Science, Early Childhood Education and K-12 Teaching, Culinary Arts, Engineering Technology and Robots and Business Management and Entrepreneurship.
Rigorous coursework, hands-on projects and job-shadowing, with a focus on career development, combine to give students the opportunity for first-hand experience in their selected program areas. In addition, students may earn college credits through concurrent enrollment courses in partnership with Utah Tech University.
For the concept of this new high school, the Washington County School District drew inspiration from similar schools in Texas and Las Vegas. The goal of the school is to provide certificate-focused education to high school students interested in technical careers, the news release said.
While Career Tech will not have sports teams or performing arts programs, the Titans will have plenty of opportunities to compete in robotics competitions, Future Business Leaders of America, SkillsUSA and Family, Career and Community Leaders of America competitions, among other career and technical organizations for students.
To accommodate student participation in extracurricular activities, Career Tech will have an earlier start and end time each day so students can travel to and from their home boundary schools.
“From the beginning, Washington County School District has wanted to support Career Tech High School students that want to participate in extracurricular activities,” Homer said.
According to the press release, there will be several open houses and community events in the near future that will be held for the public to tour the new, state-of-the-art facility.
Photo Gallery
The new Career Tech High School in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Washington County School District, St. George News The new Career Tech High School in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Washington County School District, St. George News The new Career Tech High School in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Washington County School District, St. George News The new Career Tech High School in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Washington County School District, St. George News The new Career Tech High School in St. George, Utah, date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Washington County School District, St. George News
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