Kane County School District continues to expand opportunities for students to earn Industry Recognized Certificates, equipping them to enter the workforce in higher-paying careers.
In February 2026, school districts and charter schools across Utah submitted competitive applications to the Utah State Board of Education for funding under the Utah Legislature’s Catalyst Center initiative. Kane County School District was selected as one of twelve district grant recipients, securing $484,854 to build three new certification programs: Wildland Firefighting, Pharmacy Technician, and Electrical.
Launching the initiative in August 2026, the district introduced its first Wildland Fire courses. The program is made possible through strong partnerships with the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), and local agencies across Southern Utah. Special thanks go to instructors James Swapp, Mike Espinoza, Justin Perkins (U.S. Wildland Fire Service), and Lisa Church (BLM) for bringing their expertise to our classrooms.
We are proud to report that 15 students from Kanab High School and 5 students from Valley High School are currently enrolled. Upon completion, students will build a USA.gov portfolio and hold the certifications necessary to begin working immediately in wildland fire response.
Interested in enrolling for future semesters? Please contact your high school counselor.
