Chelsea High School has been recognized by the Council for Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS) as a School of Distinction for its Health Science Program and new state-of-the-art surgical learning lab which opened to students in January.

This award recognizes school programs that serve as outstanding educational models for other schools in Alabama. The CLAS Banner School program was created in 2001 to recognize schools in Alabama that showcase outstanding programs and services to students.

“This year 138 schools were nominated for the prestigious recognition with 31 schools selected as the 2020 CLAS Schools of Distinction,” said CLAS Executive Director Vic Wilson in a notification letter to Chelsea High School Principal, Brandon Turner. “I commend you, the students, faculty, and staff for this tremendous accomplishment.”

Chelsea High School’s Health Sciences Program was recognized as part of Sate School District 3, along with the Diversity Student Leadership Councils at Berry Middle School (Hoover City Schools), Spanish 1 Access program at Millbrook Middle School (Elmore County Schools) and The 3B’s: Books, Boys, and Breakfast program at Sycamore Elementary School (Talladega County Schools).

All of the CLAS Schools of Distinction award winners from across the state will be honored at a luncheon on May 3 at which time, the CLAS Banner School from each state school board district will be announced.

The Chelsea High Health Science program’s surgical suite learning lab includes a day of surgery admissions station, sterile processing department, pre-op holding area, operating room, and a recovery room bay complete with patient care simulators, surgical scrub sink, operating room lights, surgical table, electric hospital beds, and an authentic “red line” denoting restricted and semi-restricted perioperative patient care areas.

The program is the only one like it at the high school level in Alabama. The program began in 2019-2020 as means of addressing healthcare staffing shortages in the region.