Chino Valley High principal highlights CTE pathways, dual enrollment success and planned program additions

Julie Bryce, principal of Chino Valley High School, said during a meeting of Chino Valley Unified District (4474) that the high school's career and technical education (CTE) program lets students graduate with workforce certificates and, in some cases, college credit through a partnership with Yavapai College.

Bryce said the CTE program enables students to "go right out into the workforce and start a living" with certificates such as welding that prepare graduates for jobs immediately after high school. She said the program is growing and the district plans to add two CTE pathways next year: esthetician and teacher education.

"One unique thing about our high school is our CTE program and the many opportunities we give to our students," Bryce said. She described the partnership with Yavapai College as a dual-enrollment arrangement that allows students to earn college credit while in high school; she said five seniors in last year's graduating class earned associate's degrees alongside their high school diplomas.

Bryce outlined her own district experience to frame the remarks: she has worked in the district for 24 years, beginning as a first-grade teacher at Territorial Elementary School, later serving three years as a middle school counselor, five years as assistant principal at the high school, eight years as principal at Heritage Middle School and two years as curriculum director at the district office.

She said the district's small rural setting makes it possible for students to grow up, leave for college and return to work locally. Bryce emphasized that the district's CTE offerings are intended to provide immediate employment options as well as college pathways for students who pursue further education.

The transcript provided does not specify funding sources, governing action, or any formal vote tied to the program expansion.