Red River Parish offering vocational training opportunities to students

RED RIVER PARISH, La. (KSLA) — Red River High students will get the opportunity to take classes that will help them get a job if they do not plan to go to a traditional four-year university or college.

They can get a jump-start at their new vocational school on campus.

Red River Schools Superintendent Allison Strong said this gives students more opportunities once they graduate. “We have medical assistants, welding, carpentry, construction safety, ProStart culinary arts.

Strong explained that this came into fruition after a bond issue passed nearly three years ago.

“We passed a bond issue in 2019 that allowed us to generate $30 million for capital improvements across the whole district, and the main focus of the majority of the money went to build a vocational center that allows us to offer pathways for our students.”

FULL INTERVIEW WITH SUPERINTENDENT ALLISON STRONG

Ikarah Reeves is a senior, and she’s in the Educator Rising program. Reeves plans to return to teach in Red River Parish after graduating from college.

“I love going into classrooms and seeing other teachers in how they set up and how they interact and it helps me look at all my teachers to see like you have to go through all of this,” she said.

Kyle Wren is a school counselor, and he says enrollment for vocational courses is on the rise.

“I been here 15 years and for several years, it was available, but it didn’t have the flare we have now and it’s drawing kids that usually would not be interested in those types of programs,” he said.

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