Castaic High School is expected to open its doors in the next year and a half, and officials from the William S. Hart Union High School District are talking about medical and dental pathway programs planned for both students and the community at large.

As part of its added emphasis on college and career readiness, Castaic High School will have an entire building dedicated to the health professions, with medical and dental programs in the works.

“We’ve worked closely with College of the Canyons, and in collaborating on data, we’ve identified pathways that are really high-demand areas for the labor market out here in Santa Clarita and Los Angeles,” said Marianne Doyle, career technical education administrator for the Hart District. “And so we are going to definitely have one building dedicated to the health professions.”

Related: Castaic High School Progress Showcased During Tour By KHTS News (VIDEO)

District officials have worked with Kaiser Permanente and UCLA Health to develop the medical pathway program, which Doyle noted is modeled closely to UCLA Health’s simulation lab.

The district’s existing dental program currently operates out of a local dentist’s office, so the new building will enable the program to expand and grow in its own state-of-the-art facility, according to Doyle.

Not only are the medical and dental pathway programs expected to be offered to students during the school day, but an after-school program is in the works for community members as well.

“If it is up completely to me, the after-school program will primarily be designated for adults to be able to take advantage of,” Doyle said. “That’s a big part of really the overall spirit of Castaic High School, is we really want the high school to be about the community and be central to the community, and that means serving everyone in the community.”

Hart District Board Member Joe Messina added, “I think we’ve forgotten the days of, we need people to work with our hands, we need people to work with the new technologies that are out there… I just think (Castaic High School) is going to be a wonderful, pristine school, a community school, and they’ll be proud to have it.”

For more information about Castaic High School, click here. 

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