ST. LANDRY PARISH — Times have changed at Washington Elementary. Once a place for little ones—now it’s all about the big kids.
This year, the campus has been transformed into Washington Career and Technical School—serving high school students looking to get a head start on their careers with dual enrollment courses.
“I've actually been kind of liking it, and hearing about all the opportunities they provide being in school over here and everything,” said student, Kylan Broussard.
And this week—they’re back in class.
Broussard attends the career and technical school, and when asked what she wants to be, she answered simply: “I want to be a nurse.”
Washington Career & Tech is an extension of the main campus.
“We were able to expand our programs and add more programs and give more lab space for our teachers moving over here,” said Therese Ellender, Director of Career and Technical Education.
The extra space is already being put to use—with new programs like plumbing and an agriculture lab that will feature a vet tech and a hands-on, interactive aquaponics class.
Broussard and fellow student Channing Pickney are enrolled in the EMT program. Instead of being taught in one cramped room, their instructor now has multiple spaces—one for hands-on equipment training and another for lectures and note-taking.
“Yes, ma'am, we have a lot of room now,” Pickney said.
With 521 high school students enrolled, Ellender says the expansion is already paying off.
“We are excited. Our numbers are up, and they continue to grow,” she said.
Ellender also says they’re adding a greenhouse and expect the aquaponics class to be up and running sometime next year.
