Western High School celebrated the opening of its new Culinary Arts Lab with a ribbon cutting ceremony held this Spring. Attendance at the event included School Board Member Laurie Rich Levinson, Principal Arrojo, students and community members.

With a new Culinary Program recently added to its curriculum, the school requested the acceleration of its STEM Lab funding to quickly meet the needs of the two-year-old program. With the location otherwise unoccupied, the work was able to begin ahead of schedule, and was ready for students to use in mid-January.

Upgrades to the lab include a walk-in freezer, two gas stoves, an ice machine, a water cooler and a grease trap.

“This is equipment the school board should never have to replace if it’s taken care of – which it will be,” said Richard Vaugh, the Culinary Arts instructor at Western. “It’s a beautiful facility. There is really nothing more that we could ask for.”

Other projects now in motion at Western High include the teacher planning room, ADA renovations to the group restrooms down the hall from the Culinary Lab and the clinic restroom in the front office.