The Orange Unified School District and Santiago Canyon College recently celebrated the completion of their first certified nursing assistant cohort, marking a milestone in a partnership designed to expand healthcare career pathways for high school students.
According to the community college, students in the tuition-free program completed certified nursing assistant coursework and hands-on clinical training while still enrolled in high school, preparing them for careers in healthcare and continued postsecondary education.
College representatives said the partnership is intended to support career technical education, dual enrollment and workforce readiness by providing students with industry-recognized skills before graduation.
“We are incredibly proud of our students who successfully completed this challenging program,” Orange Unified Superintendent Dr. Rachel H. Monárrez said. “By offering our high-schoolers a free, direct path into great healthcare jobs, we are making sure they graduate with valuable, job-ready skills and certificates.”
More information about education pathways and dual enrollment opportunities is available on the Orange Unified and Santiago Canyon College websites.
Here are the stories we’ve been following this week:
- Orange County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Stefan Bean and Orange County Board of Education members Mari Barke and Dr. Lisa Sparks were sworn into office during the board’s organizational meeting, where trustees also elected new board officers for the coming year.
- OCDE has launched a movie theater public awareness campaign in Garden Grove to help families learn about the risks of nitrous oxide misuse and encourage conversations with young people about substance use.
- Huntington Beach High School and Newport Harbor High School have been invited to compete in the inaugural MaxPreps Flag Football Showdown, a national tournament featuring some of the country’s top girls flag football teams.
- Dr. Don Austin officially began serving as superintendent of the Laguna Beach Unified School District, returning to a district where he previously served as principal of Laguna Beach High School.
- Cal State Fullerton’s GEAR UP University gave Anaheim Union High School District students a weeklong introduction to college life as part of a federally funded program that has served more than 10,000 Orange County students over the past 25 years.
- The latest episode of FutureCurrent features Orange County Arts and Disability Director Marleena Barber and artist Joshua Roy discussing how inclusive arts programs help people with disabilities discover their talents, express themselves and build a sense of belonging.
- California’s 2026-27 state budget allocates $128 billion for education, including increased funding for special education, newcomer student programs, bilingual teacher preparation and financial aid, while temporarily withholding a portion of school funding pending updated state revenue projections.
- California is investing $10 million to help school districts recruit high school students into bilingual teaching careers as the state works to address a shortage of bilingual educators.
- New national reading assessment data show that reading progress among the nation’s youngest students has leveled off, with first- and second-grade reading proficiency declining during the 2025-26 school year.
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