How do you ensure students finish high school successfully and obtain a high quality education that prepares them for both college and careers?  According to Principal, Becky Guthrie, “small learning communities, rigorous and engaging academics, demanding career education courses, and 21^st Century skills.” 

 Van Buren High School is currently undergoing a restructuring process into smaller learning communities or career colleges of 400 – 500 students each.  Teacher teams within each career college will be better able to build healthy relationships with students since each group of teachers will share the same group of students. 

 Within a career college, students will have access to all AP courses, concurrent courses, and electives currently available.  However, students will be encouraged to select electives that progress towards a completed study in a desired career.  Students who discover they are no longer interested in a particular career path will be able to change their career path as needed.   

 The VBHS Biomedical New Tech High Career College will debut for 150 interested incoming sophomores in the 2012-2013 school year.  The 2012-2013 school year will also be a planning year for VBHS staff members as they plan to reorganize the remaining population into small learning communities for the 2013-2014 school year. 

 VBHS will also be implementing new programs of study in 12-13 in the areas of engineering, culinary arts, banking and finance, and teacher education.  Guthrie states these programs were added as a result of researching which careers had the best future outlook and student interest. 

Becky Guthrie, Principal