The Lansing School District is opening a new high school this fall. Lansing Technical High School's curriculum will provide students with hands-on training to prepare them for a technical career upon graduation.
The school will operate from the Hill Center on the city’s south side and offer multiple career pathways.
Nicole Millsap, the director of the district’s Career and Technical Education program, says the school will have 100 spots open for first-year high school students.
Career pathways include: health science, computer science, construction science, and culinary arts.
Currently, the Lansing School District provides career and technical education opportunities for students but Millsap says they aren't as comprehensive as the offerings from the new technical school.
"On average, students who complete career and technical education programs graduate at a 15% rate higher than non-career and technical education enrolled students," Millsap said. "And so we know that we wanted to expand these opportunities for students, but also create a pipeline of future workers for this community."
She adds by the time students graduate, they will have a high school diploma and credentials to take into training or an apprenticeship.
For now, only first year high school students are eligible to enroll in the program. Each year after that, the school will accept a new group of 100 ninth graders.
"So within four years, the school will serve students in grades nine through 12 and our maximum will be 400 students after four years," Millsap added.
