A new high school that will focus on technology, STEM and business programs on the east side of Pasco County will be called the Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation.
The Pasco County School Board approved that name unanimously during the board’s Feb. 18 meeting.
The school is located at Curley Road and Keifer Road in Wesley Chapel on the former Kirkland Ranch property.
Program plans for the school include academies for Business, Finance & Marketing; Digital Technology; Engineering Technology; Health Science & Human Services; Transportation Technology; and Building Technology, according to Pasco County Schools’ Facebook page.
The school will serve grades nine through 12 and offer industry certification in high-demand career fields with a focus on technology, STEM, and business, the Facebook page adds.
The name Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation encompasses both the area where it will operate, and in general, to the school’s mission.
Board members received about 100 suggested names for the school.
Board member Alison Crumbley said there were so many fine people on the list that she couldn’t narrow it down to just one.
Board member Cynthia Armstrong said the name — Academy of Innovation — is broad enough to cover the ever-evolving direction of career and technical education.
“As we know, CTE is changing daily,” Armstrong said.
The new school is slated to open in August 2022.
Published February 26, 2020
