Rockford School District Looks Into Adding a New High School

Rockford, IL - The Rockford School Board is looking into developing a new high school for students who do not immediately plan to go to college after graduation. "There are many areas we can make a successful career earning a middle class wage without going to college," says Dr. Dennis Thompson, Superintendent of Rockford Public Schools. Theres an economic need for it. School officials say local unions are concerned about graduates not having the skills to fill the hundreds of jobs now available. Thompson plans to work with the school board, unions, and businesses to craft a plan. The new high school would offer electives and internships to prepare students to work in the building and manufacturing trades, health services, and culinary arts. Not all school board members are on board. "Why are our students not prepared for entry-level positions here?" says Mike Williams, school board member. "The feedback I`ve heard is they lack math skills, they lack reading skills, they lack writing skills And that`s why we have a public education system to begin with is to teach those basic skills." Williams supports a career education curriculum, but within all of the high schools in the district. Williams worries about creating a stigma by having a separate school. "The students would be looked upon as not being as good as the other students who would be more along a college track," says Williams. "If any stigma is attached to it, it`s, ‘Wow, this is a very practical high school that prepares me for almost immediate entry into the workforce once I graduate. That`s kind of what we envision that to be," says Thompson. Thompson plans to work with the school board and have the program in place for the 2007-2008 school year.