The Utica Shale Academy of Ohio begins to take shape

In February of this year I reported that the Southern Local Board of Education in Salineville, in Columbiana County had established a charter school devoted to oil and gas drilling. As details of this bold move emerge one is awed by the progress of the venture. The Utica Shale Academy of Ohio already has its web site up and running and is slated to begin classes this fall. It will offer over 100 classes in a mostly traditional curriculum with electives geared to the oil and gas industry and it open to everyone in the state. From its FAQ page;

Who can enroll with USA?
Any student from 9th through 12th grade, who is a resident of Ohio and under the age of 21 may enroll in USA for free.
Is there a cost to attend USA?
USA is a publicly funded school so the tuition costs are paid by state allocated dollars. There is no cost to the parent.

Obviously one would have to relocate to the Columbiana County area as it a high school, not a boarding school.
One of the raps on vocational educational at the high school level is the schools teach what the teachers know. With a tenured faculty that is a legitimate criticism. Teachers with outdated skill sets must be accommodated and that has resulted such silly examples as schools offering courses in graphic arts along side printing as if anyone his right mind would think of starting a career as typesetter or linotype operator. To stay on the cutting edge USA has contracted Petro Ed, a Houston concern that offers online multimedia training for the drilling industry and furnishes online courses to college and universities. It also has plans to develop an advisory board made up of representatives from gas and oil industry' companies to determine if the academy is meeting the gas and oil industry's needs. Who better to ask?
But what about the college bound? They can earn college credit while still in high school. USA has formed partnerships with with Stark State College and Eastern Gateway Community College, both of which offer dual credit for some of the classes offered by the academy. Essentially the traditional curriculum will be taught in traditional classrooms but the gas and oil industry facets of the school will be taught online.
Tiny Salineville is best known for the Battle of Salineville which resulted in the capture of Confederate General John Hunt Morgan ending the South's only incursion into Ohio. This should be at least that exciting!