High Life / A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : ‘High-Tech’ School Gets State Grant

Century High School has been awarded a $200,000 grant from the state Department of Education for its Specialized Secondary Program, which offers instruction in a variety of technology courses.

Century High, dubbed the Santa Ana Unified School District’s “high-tech” high school when it opened in 1989, offers a dozen courses in computer technology, pre-engineering, telecommunications, medical services and human services.

Principal Gerald Arriola said the funds come at a critical time, especially in the wake of state budget cuts that forced the district to trim about $14 million from its 1991-92 budget.

“We were biting our nails,” Arriola said. “It’s the only funding we have at this time. We already have some equipment and programs in place, but had we not received this money from the state, the concept of a ‘high-tech’ high school would have been in serious jeopardy.”

This is the second consecutive year that Century High has received a $200,000 grant from the state, which also commended the school for its involvement with the local business community.

About 600 students are enrolled in the technology courses at Century High. The courses are open to students throughout the district on a space-available basis.

“Technology is a way of organizing the universe so that man doesn’t have to experience it.”

--Max Frisch