Fifty percent of the 1999 graduates went on to further technical education. Since the school opened in 1995, all but a handful of its 100 graduates have had jobs waiting for them. Livingston Technical Academy , located in Howell, was created by Livingston County manufacturers and educators to address the needs of booming business and a shrinking pool of technically savvy workers. LTA has had three senior classes and 45 graduates since opening its doors. All students who wanted a job secured an entry-level technical position.
Students complete intensive internships throughout the year.
During a 20-week semester, juniors and seniors spend five weeks working 32 to 40 unpaid hours a week at local businesses. One of those employers is now helping to pay a graduate's tuition at a state university. Livingston Technical was named a model innovative technical high school in 1999 and featured in the 21st Century Career Development Conference at the University of Michigan. Charter Schools Offer School Choice - for Educators and for Families New Branches Academy in Grand Rapids was among the first winners of the Michigan Association of Public School Academy's Summit Awards for schools that help students excel academically, overcome obstacles or get back on track. New Branches has returned to a time when schools were a focal point in the community and a gathering place for parents who reveled in being part of their children's education.