In a small, rural corner of southeast Ohio, something transformational is happening. The area’s public schools are powering economic and community renewal deep in Appalachia. While much has been said about America’s declining high school test scores, New Lexington schools are unlocking real opportunity for students and offering a blueprint for relevant and engaging public schools that meet the needs of local communities. 

In New Lexington schools, every student is exposed early and often to hands-on learning, career exploration and real-world skills that prepare them for life after high school. On a recent visit, students proudly showcased their work — from the school farm where students manage crops and livestock, to phlebotomy labs, to an industrial kitchen. At the middle school, we visited classes infused with career exploration. The district’s new workforce development center will include a health clinic, adult education programs and other programs for students and the community. 

With support from grants and local partnerships, the district built out a welding program, a fabrication lab and an electrical trades pathway by partnering with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Students now leave high school with industry-recognized credentials and apprenticeship opportunities in hand. By partnering with Genesis HealthCare System, students begin training as phlebotomists and healthcare workers before they graduate. They’re gaining experience in real hospitals while addressing workforce needs in the region. The district has also added programs ranging from drone certification to media production, with more planned around advanced manufacturing and broadband technology.

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New Lexington also focuses on well-being and addressing the needs of the whole child. Every dollar spent on these kinds of programs generates an average of $7 that goes back into the community. All students receive free breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the schools partner with local agencies to ensure adequate counselors and mental health providers. Preschool has been expanded to five days a week. There are after-school programs and services for families, and the district is employing strategies to confront the opioid crisis. And schools have added driver’s education and other programs to make sure students can get to their jobs. 

The district is also making childcare affordable for teachers and staff and giving students valuable experience at the same time. The Cub Academy day care program provides affordable childcare to teachers and others in the community and gives students in the education program, where they earn college credits, the opportunity to get their clinical field experience caring for and teaching kids there. 

At a time when too many young people feel disconnected from school and uncertain about their futures, New Lexington’s approach to career and technical education and career exploration is driving student engagement, providing students real ownership over their futures, ensuring student well-being and breathing new life into a rural community. It is also breaking down barriers by making CTE part of what all students experience, not some separate school that only some kids attend. 

The results are impressive. During the last school year, the district’s 780 students participating in these programs earned 1,551 industry credentials connected to employment opportunities in their region. And by expanding these hands-on learning experiences that make school relevant and engaging for every student and addressing the needs of children and families, the district’s graduation rate has climbed from 78% in 2018 to 99% today. Attendance rates have increased, and the district is seeing growing enrollment as families want to be part of the amazing public education being offered. 

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On our visit together, we heard directly from students on the impact New Lexington’s approach is having on their lives and futures, including a student engaged in the apprenticeship program with IBEW and a student in the media program who will graduate with an associate degree he earned while at New Lexington High School. 

There’s no secret recipe for New Lexington’s success. At the center of this work is a belief in community and relationships — that educators, unions, businesses and nonprofits can partner on programs and supports for students and families and truly make their schools the propeller of growth and opportunity for the region. In New Lexington, teachers are truly listened to, respected and supported. It’s why, as the president of a national teachers union and the superintendent of the district, we want to showcase this collaborative approach to CTE and community schooling that can and should be adapted across the country. 

The New Lexington region has long-faced challenges similar to other rural communities’— increased poverty, an opioid addiction crisis, limited resources, barriers to post-secondary access, and workforce shortages. And only a small percentage of its students went on to complete a full four-year degree after high school. But New Lexington didn’t retreat from these challenges; everyone rolled up their sleeves to identify solutions and partnerships to reimagine public school as a way to transform the community. 

Educators worked with families and businesses to make sure the school was meeting the needs of the community and providing pathways to good jobs in New Lexington. The district looked at the industries in the area and the types of jobs offered in those industries and built programming around them. And this work starts early, with students as young as the third grade getting their first experiences welding (with lots of supervision!). It’s about changing perceptions — of what students can do, of what rural schools can be, and of what kind of future is possible for places like the New Lexington region and beyond.

As a nation, we should be learning from what places like New Lexington are doing and using it as a blueprint to invest in this kind of powerful, purposeful public education across America. We should be investing in the strategies that provide students multiple pathways to college or a career after high school. The hands-on, project-based learning offered in CTE schools is relevant, engaging and helps students learn to problem-solve, think critically, communicate effectively and gain real-world experience. That’s why 95 percent of CTE students graduate from high school nationwide, and 70 percent go to college. These programs give real opportunity to students, rejuvenate local economies, solve workforce shortage issues and bring communities together. 

America’s future is tied to the opportunities we create for our young people. And as New Lexington proves, the route to the American dream continues to run directly through our public schools. That requires us to work together to strengthen, not abandon, public education. New Lexington offers a powerful example to follow.

Casey Coffey is superintendent of New Lexington Schools, a public school district in southeast Ohio.