McFarland Unified School District held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to showcase the new two-story classroom building.
District Board President Jim Beltran said he was excited for the opening of this new two-story classroom building to be utilized by the students and staff.
“People come together to get things done in their mind and hearts for so many of us to our students. It’s an unwavering commitment,” Beltran said. “It was only achieved through incredible teamwork. Thanks to all of you for bringing our vision to life. The best is yet to come for the benefit of our students.”
Superintendent Aaron Resendez thanked the entire community of McFarland for trusting them with their kids and these resources to build a better future for all.
“We have great people that make up this McFarland team, and we added additional members that will assist us in providing more educational opportunities for students and their families,” said Resendez. “We also committed to providing our team more professional development opportunities to expand and enhance their craft and learning.”
Last year, McFarland High School started offering students an early college program where they would be able to take college classes. Some of the classes being offered with this program in the new building are Spanish, agriculture business management, welding, photography, business, and public health. This new two-story building will also have two science labs on the second floor.
McFarland High School principal Dario Diaz said this is a big deal for not just this graduating class but their families also because this can save families up to $7,000 per child.
“The Class of 2023 will not only graduate this year with a high school diploma, but a majority will also move into the next stage of their educational journey with either an Associate’s Degree, career certificate, or college credits,” said Diaz.
Annika Fernandez is one of the seniors at McFarland High School that is in the early college program.
“I am really honored to be a part of the first graduating class under the dual enrollment program because of how brilliant, and efficient this process is,” Fernandez said. ”Being given the opportunity to graduate with both a high school diploma and an AA (Associates Degree) saves both time and money in regards to my education.”
Fernandez said the early college program has prepared her for what her workload will be like in college and has taught her how to properly manage her time and work efficiently at a college level.
“It’s good to know that my hard work will have paid off when I go into college with more time to focus on classes that fall under my major and less stress about the general education courses that I already completed in high school,” said Fernandez.
Resendez said when they partnered with Bakersfield College, they did so because they wanted to give McFarland students another opportunity to enhance and expand their educational trajectories and journeys.
“The partnership with Bakersfield College has been amazing, and their team has helped us navigate and overcome an unprecedented challenge.These students will not only be remembered as the first graduating class of the early college program, but they did through circumstances that I don’t think any of us could have ever imagined,” said Resendez. “They are resilient, and I am excited for what this school year has to offer and what the future looks like for the Class of 2023.”
