Indian Trail Academy

Indian Trail Academy is a public high school in Kenosha, Wisconsin, part of the Kenosha Unified School District. In addition to the core subjects, students choose to emphasize one of three themes: Biotechnology and Environmental Studies, Business and International Studies or Communications. In 2002, the Kenosha Military Academy became part of the school.

The Houses

Indian Trail has four different "Academies" in which students may be enrolled. These houses emphasize a certain area of study. As the students complete their high school journey, more sophisticated classes are taken. Students at Indian Trail are required to take the traditional "core" classes (English, science, math, and social studies) as well as physical education and their required house classes. Students may also take a foreign language (either Spanish or Chinese is offered) or join the music department (band, orchestra, choir) as a class.

The Biotechnology and Environmental Studies Academy emphasizes the field of science, offering a combined four years of 12 credits of science, greater than the traditional eight. This house prepares high school students who are interested in perusing a career in any science field. Classes include: Scientific Forensics, Biotechnology, Lab Equipment and Techniques, Environmental Sciences, Physics, Chemistry, and Human Anatomy and Physiology.

The Communications Academy offers an in-depth look at technology used in media centers and throughout the world. Students in the house of communications take classes in graphic design, media advancement, and many other classes in media and technology. Students in the Communications House do many video projects using the iMac computers within the buildings. Students of the Communications House are in charge of producing the daily announcements broadcast to every classroom in the school as well as the weekly LIVEWIRE video segment which is played weekly on the Public School Channel (Channel 20). Jordan Falduto and Matthew Hodson are still the most recognizable students to emerge from this program.

The Business and International Studies Academy teaches students to run a business, manage money, and work on a computer. Students in this house run the school store, The Trail Mix, and do everything from stocking food supplies to managing the money first-hand. The school store is in association with the American Motors Community Credit Union.

It is important to note that students in one house do not have the eligibility to take classes offered in another house.

Indian Trail Academy runs on the block-schedule system (4 classes per day, 1 hour and a half per day) but also runs on an A-B schedule. Every other day students will take their four 'A' day classes, while the next day a student will have their four 'B' day classes, different than those of the 'A' day. During each semester, students take eight (8) classes at once (unless student has a "release" period), as opposed to the traditional four, so parent-teacher conferences and final exams happen only twice per year, at the end of each semester.

ports

Because Indian Trail Academy is a non-traditional high school, it does not have state-recognized sports teams. Students that wish to participate in high-school sports are bused over to the two main high schools in Kenosha Unified School District Mary D. Bradford High School and Tremper High School. There, the students from Indian Trail may participate in sports as a member of either Bradford or Tremper's team.

Referendum and Expansion

In 2008, the citizens of Kenosha were allowed to vote on a referendum which would expand and renovate Indian Trail to accommodate a comprehensive high school as well as the existing academy programs. While a similar referendum failed in 2003, the 2008 referendum passed. The addition to Indian Trail will include an academic classroom wing, music and physical education facilities, sports fields, a cafeteria, an auditorium and a field house (all of which the current school lacks). The new high school is needed to quell overcrowding problems at Bradford and Tremper, and will open in the fall of 2011.

* [http://www.indiantrailacademy.com/ Indian Trail Academy website]
* [http://www.kusd.edu/ Kenosha Unified School District website]