IDAHO FALLS — Idaho Falls School District 91 will soon be getting a building for students where they can take classes in one central location for career and technical education.
The District announced Thursday that the Idaho Falls Board of Trustees has given initial approval for the creation of a Career Technical Education Center, which will help the district’s efforts in preparing students for success beyond high school.
“We are very thrilled to be offering the center. The reason being is first of all, we’re always looking to increase learning opportunities for kids with the demand for career and technical skills which is just about everywhere. This will help kids with those types of careers into that direction,” Superintendent Jim Shank told EastIdahoNews.com.
The center is an integral part of an overall expansion of CTE programming in D91. The district has offered a variety of CTE classes such as certified nursing assistant, auto, culinary arts and computer science but those classes are held in buildings scattered around the district.
“We are a multi-high school district. Each of the schools are able to do some CTE courses but not all of them so the center allows us to put them in one central location. The kids can go to the center and receive opportunities for each of those types of classes and learn those skills,” Shank said.
The stand-alone center will make it easier for all students to access a wide variety of CTE programs, including new courses such as construction and trades, ag and horticulture.
Shank told EastIdahoNews.com that they want to begin the program soon so the district is planning to lease a facility that would house all CTE programs except for the auto program, which will remain at Idaho Falls High School.
According to the CTE coordinator, District 91 has about 150 students enrolled in their CTE programs. If all goes according to plan, the center would open in Fall 2022.
“Students will be able to engage in skills-based education through partnerships with local industry, be encouraged to pursue professional certifications and engage in authentic learning experiences,” said Shank.
