KNOX COUNTY, Tenn. — Six more Knox County high schools will have offerings through the 865 Academies program after Knox County Schools leaders announced the program would be implemented on Friday. Those schools are listed below.
- Carter High School
- Gibbs High School
- Halls High School
- Powell High School
- South-Doyle High School
- West High School
The program is woven into the traditional high school curriculum and is tailored to give students as young as the ninth grade a chance to identify the careers they want to pursue and work with professionals to develop the skills they need to work in it after graduation.
"The 865 Academies initiative has established two or three career-themed academies within each high school designed to prepare KCS graduates to enroll in college or trade school, enlist in service to their country, or find high-wage employment," KCS said in a release on Friday.
Students get chances to shadow professionals at their jobs while also getting guidance from workers in their field of interest. Students will have a chance to participate in a "Freshman Academy" in ninth grade to start the program, meant to help them choose a pathway that will last between tenth grade and 12th grade.
Students also only have one chance to change their pathway while in high school, if their original choice does not work out.
The career pathways also do not include topics like arts, literature, social studies or world languages. However, KCS said those classes are still offered to all students regardless of their academy.
If students are not interested in any career pathways, KCS said students should contact a freshman counselor with questions. It also said the program is not meant to lock students into a career after graduation, but instead is meant to give them a chance to take a deep dive into a particular area to help them make informed choices after high school.
"In addition, a student who is interested in a particular career – such as becoming an attorney – may not have a pre-law pathway available at their school. However, they may have the opportunity to job-shadow, take a field trip, or participate in an internship with the legal department of an industry partner," KCS said on its website about the program.