Ally Goodman Operating the Valve Grinder

Vocational programs in high school were once the norm.  Boys took shop, girls took Home Ec, that's the way things worked.  Along the way, especially in the '80's and '90's, vocational programs were cut back and in many schools eliminated due to budget constraints.  As a result, generations of students lost out on valuable skills such as cooking, accounting, welding, sewing, automotive and home repair and many agriculturally related topics.

Battle Lake Schools had the foresight to realize the importance such programs in the their students' futures and kept as many of the traditional 'vocational' programs as possible.  The programs in the Agriculture, Industrial Technology and Business programs stress to the students that you may not necessarily choose a career in these areas, but you will develop hands-on, problem solving skills that will help you no matter what career path you choose.  While the names of the programs may have changed, educating students through problem solving experiences is still the main mission.