Alternative Programs Offer Several Choices To Iron County Students

I don't want to go back in time and go through my high school years again, they are long behind me and that's where they belong. That being said, I think I might have had a better experience during that time if the programs available today had been an option for me.

Steve Schofield, Principal of Alternative Programs for the Iron County School District was on the radio with us this morning, and some of the programs that students and their families have available now are quite intriguing.

“We've got something that traditional schools don't have,” Schofield told us. “For those that need something different, we've got it.,” he continued.

Southwest Education Academy is the alternative high school available for juniors and seniors who are credit deficient.

“There's a variety of reasons why someone would choose to come to Southwest Education Academy,” Steve told us. “But it's not for the reasons that are out there,” he continued. “We know of an alternative high school in Salt Lake that's for the 'bad kids.' In Iron County, it's for kids that are credit deficient.”

Schofield went on to explain, “when they come to us, our teachers are able to build great relationships with the kids. The kids trust 'em and the teachers can teach 'em and the get what they need to and they graduate, and some graduate early.”

Southwest Education Academy is not the only non-traditional option offered by the Iron County School District. Schofield also mentioned Launch High School. Launch High School is a Project Based Learning School. In PBL schools, students work on real-world projects, allowing them to apply knowledge and skills to solve problems. This method fosters critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity.

Launch opened right out of the pandemic and on the first year had 500 applicants.

“We've got people looking for a different setting,” Schofield told us. “We do so many things in alternative education, both Launch and SEA fall under that category. We're spread out all over the district. If we had a facility just for alternative education, we could do a lot. We could bring in more kids.”

Facilities for alternative programs is one of the projects that would go forward if voters approve the bond issue on the ballot this month.

As far as an education that will work best for an individual, Schofiled concluded, “we've got tons of resources out there for you.”

You can find out more about these resources at the Iron County School District website, and you can listen to our visit with Steve Schofield below.