At a regular meeting of the Board of Trustees on Oct. 14, 2025, an architectural agreement for a cosmetology classroom model was approved. This includes the creation of a new Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway for cosmetology and plans for the installation of an instructional salon on the PRHS campus in the current leadership room, which is set to be completed by August 2026.
This program originated “through student surveys with over 1,800 responses,” according to a quick summary of the Board’s monthly agenda, “there is a significant demand for this pathway, which creates opportunities for students to gain industry-recognized certifications and enter high-demand, well-paying career fields directly after graduation.”
“Last year, we had a strategic planning meeting with several members of the community as well as staff, parents and students. One part of that panel included a student panel and multiple members of the panel expressed interest in a cosmetology program,” PRJUSD assistant superintendent Erin Haley said.
PRHS offers 11 Career and Technical Education pathways that focus on unique career interests with specialized courses. They include Agriculture, Business, Digital Media, Education, Hospitality, Healthcare, Performing Arts, Construction, and Software areas, with further divisions within each section. The addition of the Cosmetology pathway adds to the diversity of PRHS’s career education offerings, but also pushes out other classes in order to make room for the operational salon classroom.
It will be constructed in the current leadership/ASB room for parking lot accessibility for salon guests. The salon will be open to the public during and outside school hours, allowing for students to complete the 1,000 hours of experience needed to receive a certificate in the cosmetology trade. The revenue from these paying customers will go back into the program to fund the replenishment of salon supplies needed each year.
The safety aspect of the cosmetology addition has caused some concern in staff with public access through the back door of 503. However, the “forward-facing” salon requirement prohibits entrance into the quad area of campus. Customers will be cleared through the same Verkada clearance process system used for visitors across all school sites and occupy a designated waiting area and restroom in the salon space.
The estimated cost of this project is $505,290, which will come from the Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) carryover, a district three-year budget plan. The renovations will include building 25 hair cutting stations, five hair-washing stations, a separate room for other services (skin care, waxing, facials), and a remodel of existing restrooms, lighting, surface finishes, and other mechanical operations.
The pathway will be a three-year long program, beginning in sophomore year and ending in senior year. The first year requires one period, the second year requires two, and the final year requires three dedicated class periods to the task of completing hours. The program requires an application and counselor recommendation to be accepted. Each class is capped at 25 students, meaning that in a four-year cycle, 100 students will be able to participate in the coursework. If they cannot keep up with the hours required through attendance, they will be dropped, diminishing the already limited amount of students,
“It is important that students understand the requirements of the pathway before enrolling in it as we know that it is a large commitment.” Haley said.
In room 503, where the leadership class of 48 students of all four grade levels currently operates, the entire space is utilized for storage and planning needs. Its location right on the quad allows for easy access during lunchtime activities and pep rallies, where tables, chairs, and props must be carried in and out quickly. Many other groups also use this space such as LINK crew, the superintendent advisory committee, FFA, drama, and district-wide teachers for the large meeting space and technology. When the cosmetology program takes over, leadership will most likely be moved over to the 200 buildings on the southern side of campus, a location without a very accessible front and a much smaller space,
“The biggest challenge is that we’re not the face of the school, we’re gonna be put in a corner over here,” leadership activities co-director Jennifer Martinez said, feeling as though the current adaptability of room 503 is valuable.
While the cosmetology pathway allows students to complete the required salon hours and prepares them to take the State exam for certification, it raises questions about whether the program meets college-readiness standards,
“CTE means that it’s college and career ready. When you look at a path like cosmetology, you’re taking away the opportunity to be the college ready, because its three of those courses they need to get their certification,” Martinez shared, “I think it’s great that they have that opportunity to be career ready, but they’re also supposed to be college ready.”
This new program is still in the works, but it is looking like it will be a reality in the near future. This is a valuable opportunity to meet a demand in the Bearcat community and prepare students for a future career, though its final form may bring both benefits and challenges as it
continues to develop and affect other school organizations.
