Evergreen Local Schools superintendent outlines plan to expand high-school career pathways

Eric Smola, superintendent of Evergreen Local Schools, said the district is planning to expand high-school programming to give students ‘‘real-world skills, industry credentials, and clear pathways towards meaningful careers.’’

Smola framed the effort as part of the district’s strategic plan and a response to changing workforce needs and reduced state funding. He said the district aims to develop ‘‘high-quality technical and career-focused programs’’ in fields such as manufacturing, business, engineering, health and human services, and logistics, and to pair classroom instruction with internships and apprenticeships.

The superintendent said the initiative has three main goals: help students explore career interests while still in high school; enable students to earn industry-recognized credentials and licensures valued by employers; and position Evergreen as a destination district that attracts open-enrolled students from surrounding communities. ‘‘Most importantly, we aim for every participating student to graduate with one to three industry-recognized certifications,’’ Smola said.

Smola described recent career-assessment work in which students completed a comprehensive assessment and met individually with career coaches to identify top career interests. The district will use those results to guide initial focus areas for program development. He acknowledged the district cannot offer every option listed and said officials are researching which programs are realistic to provide.

The superintendent emphasized that expanding programming may require updated or new facilities and that funding pressures make strategic program alignment important: career-technical pathways can open access to specialized workforce-development funding streams tied to credential attainment, he said. Smola suggested that offering credentials could reduce employer training costs and improve student earnings potential.

Smola invited students, families, local businesses and community members to provide input and asked recipients to complete a short questionnaire attached to the email. He gave contact information for further questions or discussion and closed by thanking listeners for their time.

The district did not present a timeline, budget, or specific implementation steps in this message; details about funding amounts, facility plans and program phasing were not specified.