Casper would get a third major high school with full athletics and arts programs under the preferred option of a committee of parents and educators that has been working to develop a vision for secondary education in the Natrona County School District.

Two other options presented by the Path to 2025 committee also call for construction of a third high school to hold 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12.

All three options call for changing the structure of high schools to be based on "small learning communities," with at least some instruction focused on "professional pathways," or courses that tie into career tracks. For example, a student enrolled in a biomedical pathway might take a college anatomy course and a high school chemistry course.

The Path to 2025 committee came up with the three options based on the committee's research and final report. Julia Collier Earl, project director for Path to 2025, presented the options to the Natrona County School Board Monday night.

In all three options, Kelly Walsh and Natrona County high schools and a new high school each would hold 1,200 students in grades 9 through 12. Midwest Secondary School, Roosevelt High School and Star Lane Center would be left as is.

The committee favored the first option: three similarly designed schools with full athletics and visual and performing arts programs. In this plan, small learning communities would teach core subjects in four "houses" -- one for ninth grade and three for grades 10-12. Each house would include several professional pathways, but those tracks wouldn't be duplicated among the schools unless there were "overwhelming interest by students."

In the second option, Kelly Walsh and NCHS each would be broken into small learning communities, with general arts and career and technical education serving the entire schools. The new high school would be organized around professional pathways and offer specialized arts and career and technical education options. It would not have athletic and other extracurricular activities.

In the third option, each high school would offer a different option, and students would choose which school fit his interests and needs. One school might be learning-community based. Another school might specialize in flexible schedules. Professional pathways would be at one school, most likely the new high school.

The committee discussed a fourth option -- staying with two larger comprehensive high schools -- but strongly opposed recommending it. The current model doesn't fit the district's space-grade configuration plan approved in 2004, according to the committee's findings. The plan recommends that high schools house between 1,000 and 1,200 students.

Kelly Walsh had 1,438 students and NCHS had 1,496 students as of the 11th day of this school year. The district had 469 ninth-graders in middle schools, for a total of 1,003 students currently outside of the space-grade configuration.

"We're already tight, and we're already there today,” Collier Earl said.

About two-thirds of community members said a third high school should be built, according to a phone survey conducted by the committee. School board member Audrey Cotherman said a two-high school option should be offered to community members for input.

The district set aside $5 million to design a new high school, and the district needs to commit to a plan in the first quarter of 2010, said Steve Degenfelder, board chairman. Funding for a new school must be approved by the Wyoming School Facilities Commission and the Legislature.

The community will have opportunities to give input on the three options in December. Community forums are planned for Dec. 3, 7 and 15.

Reach education reporter Jackie Borchardt at (307) 266-0593 or at jackie.borchardt@trib.com. Read her education blog at tribtown.trib.com/reportcard

Breaking down the options

Here are the options for Casper high school configuration presented by the Natrona County School District's Path to 2025 committee:

* Option 1 (preferred) -- Three high schools, each serving about 1,200 ninth- to 12th-grade students, which would be organized around professional pathway academies. Each school would offer three to four pathways, with core academic instruction integrated into pathway instruction. One option might be a general studies pathway that would meet the needs of students who prefer a traditional environment. All three schools would have full athletic programs, but the new high school might also provide nontraditional athletics and wellness opportunities. All schools would have ninth-grade houses and would have advanced placement and dual enrollment offerings. Students could move between pathways, and pathways would not be repeated among schools unless there were a overwhelming interest by students.

* Option 2 -- Three high schools, each serving about 1,200 ninth- to 12th grade students, with NC and KW providing core academics in small learning communities. The new high school would be organized around professional pathways. NC and KW would have full athletic and extracurricular activities that would be open to students from the new high school. NC and KW would offer general career-technical and fine/performing arts programs, but specialized programs would only be offered at the new high school. All schools would have ninth-grade houses, as well as AP and dual enrollment offerings.

* Option 3 -- Three high schools, each serving about 1,200 ninth- to 12th-grade students, each with a different focus. The new high school would be organized around professional pathway academies, with core academic instruction integrated within the pathways. NC and KW would be reorganized to provide significantly different instructional programs, such as core academics in small learning communities or learning labs and project-based learning. All three high schools would have full athletic and extracurricular programs, as well as AP and dual enrollment opportunities and ninth-grade houses.