South Allegheny School District debuts education options for students in growing fields
MCKEESPORT, Pa. (KDKA) - This coming school year, the South Allegheny School District has some unique education options for its students.
The first is a cyber security class that will be taught in both middle and high schools and the second is an aviation class that will be available for grades 9-12. This class will help kids learn to become pilots for both planes and unmanned drones.
These types of programs are new to the area, but they are in some other high schools around the country.
South Allegheny School District Superintendent David McDonald says that having these two fields of study is huge for the district and it capitalizes on students already being tech savvy.
"We know that students live in this world of technology, and they constantly have a device in their hands or they are in front of a monitor," McDonald said. "What we're doing is, we are bringing a real-life simulation to them."
The hope for both these classes is that students who don't want to or may not have the means to go to college will acquire some real-world skills in some very big and growing fields.
The district has around 1,500 students, with just under half of them going straight into the workforce from high school. South Allegheny wants all of its students who take these courses to leave ready to work in these various fields, with both certificates from these programs and strong partnerships with local companies.
"We are a kid-driven business, so what we are trying to do is open up opportunities for kids in Glassport, in Lincoln and Liberty and Port Vue to graduate, step into a career pathway and not just a job, but a career," McDonald said.
