This summer has been a busy one for the Lucia Mar Unified School District with changes underway at Arroyo Grande High School.
Among the improvements are a new culinary arts classroom, a cosmetology program, and 13 new classrooms.
The $4.2 million culinary arts classroom is still under construction with completion expected in the next four months.
It’s being funded by a 2016 bond and state grant. The classroom will be equipped with stoves and a teaching kitchen to mimic what students will encounter in the restaurant industry.
District officials say the high school students will get hands-on experience that will better prepare them for life after graduation.
“We already have a really strong program on-site. It just isn't in a great facility like this. It's in a couple of standard classrooms. We have a great instructor. There's high demand for the program. When we're able to move in here, then they'll move from their less modern facility into a state-of-the-art facility," said Andy Stenson, Lucia Mar Unified School District Director of Facilities.
Aside from learning how to prep food, Stenson says students will eventually be able to serve food in their covered outdoor seating area.
For the first time, AGHS will also house a new cosmetology program with 25 hair-cutting stations and five hair-washing bowls.
Once state-approved, the students' hours will count toward certification. This facility is expected to be ready in the next two weeks.
