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Haverhill High School is picking up early childhood education and graphic design as Whittier Regional Vocational Technical High School phases out similar programs.
Beginning in September the high school will offer a career technical education program in early childhood education with the added opportunity of exploring kindergarten through grade 12 teaching, Supervisor of Career and Technical Education Victoria Kelley told WHAV. Likewise, the school will add graphic design and visual communications.
“We want to fill the need in the community,” Kelley said. “We are working on a smooth transition.”
Kelley noted Haverhill High School already offers five career-oriented programs in healthcare, information technology, programming, biomedicine, and engineering.
She said parents of Haverhill High School students are receiving letters this week that will outline the new course offerings. Both are four-year programs that require 900 hours of course work in order to earn certificates. Kelley said Haverhill High will follow the state curriculum framework, but add elementary, middle and secondary teaching experiences to the early childhood curriculum because the need for teachers is so critical.
As WHAV reported in February, Whittier Tech will close Early Education and Care and Design and Visual Communications in 2027 after the few remaining students in the program graduate. Superintendent Maureen Lynch argued at the time closing or changing programs with declining enrollment are necessary so that resources can be targeted to growth areas.
The Whittier Tech School Committee voted to end its similar offerings as only 11 students are enrolled in early education and only one freshman chose it last year. Likewise, the digital and visual communications course’s enrollment dropped from 59 in 2022 to 26 currently.