Civil Municipal Magazine - Nov 2023

171 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 11 CHAT TAHOOCHEE COUNT Y SCHOOL DISTRICT decision to not require every student to take the SAT. The foundational belief is that every student’s path should be honored, so if a student is part of something like the JROTC path and is scoring high on that path’s unique assessments like the ASVAB, then there is to take another standardized exam like the SAT. A Curriculum Intertwined with Community The effects of these pathways reach even beyond the minds of the students participating in them and even touch the families and homes the students are a part of. “We experience a lot of poverty in our school system… and being educated is intended to be the great equalizer,” Brooks says, referring to the profound economic effects the district’s pathways can have on a student’s life. The two best examples lie with the Automotive and Healthcare Pathways, in which students participate in work-based learning. Chattahoochee County has a partnership with Riverside Toyota in Columbus and Magnolia Manor, a local nursing home. After taking normal classes, students in this tract will be able to train with both of these organizations in an employment setting. “As high school juniors and seniors, they’re earning $20 to $22 an hour,” Brooks says, emphasizing that, at times, many students on these paths would be earning more than members of their own families! So not only do they earn while they work as apprentices, but if they stick with the pathways, students will graduate with many of the credits and training needed to easily transition into full-time employment as automotive mechanics or nursing professionals. This also helps students figure out exactly what they want to do and what course they’ll need going forward so that, in case they decide to attend post-secondary school, their families don’t suffer excessive debt. Investments in Secure Infrastructure for a Secure Student Body Other than safeguarding its students’ minds, the Chattahoochee County District has also made key investments in several layers of infrastructure to