Parlier High School plans to build new medical facility on campus

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Parlier High School is building a new addition on their campus that will bring much more than added classroom space to the high school.

Instructor Cynthia Acevedo says she remembers when Parlier High Schools Medical Pathways Program was just starting.

"The beginning of the program was small cohorts, we only had a couple of students the very first year," said Acevedo.

Now with 200 students participating in the program, the need for more space is greater than ever before.

"The space is very limited," said Medical Assistant Instructor Nichole Gallagher. "As you can see, we've got to do our lecture, plus all of our skills in this one small area."

Thanks to a state grant, Parlier High School is building a $3.2 million medical facility on its campus for students eager to pursue the medical field.

"We always talk about a legacy to leave behind," said Superintendent Gracied Guerrero, "Something like that's definitely something the folks here are going to use for years on end."

The program allows Parlier students to earn a CNA certification before they graduate high school and then jump right into the medical field following graduation.

"That's something the workforce was asking for," said Guerrero. "We know that was an area of need, so why not have our students fill this need?"

The classes are the only in-person instruction happening on campus. The program also allows them to earn valuable college credits while they're still in high school

"We need more space," said Acevedo. "These kids deserve newer equipment, newer things, all the excitement of their own space and being able to work individually."

The new building will be built on the Parlier High School campus with an estimated completion of Fall 2022.