Career and Technical Programs for Caroline County High School Students

Quick answer: Caroline County Public Schools lists career and technical programs at Caroline High School in Milford, organized through the Academies at Caroline and the division's Program of Studies. Offerings include agriculture, carpentry, culinary arts, cosmetology, automotive technology, health sciences, and other sequences, plus work-based learning. This post describes the programs as the schools present them; it does not rank them.

Students who live in Ruther Glen, Ladysmith, Bowling Green, Port Royal, around Lake Caroline, or elsewhere in Caroline County along I-95, Route 207, or Route 301 go through Caroline High School for these courses. The Program of Studies is the official course catalog. Confirm current offerings, fees, and diploma rules with a school counselor, because the catalog itself says courses depend on enrollment and staffing (CCPS Program of Studies, 2026-27; Program of Studies page).

Where the programs are offered

Caroline High School is the county's high school. The school's page lists it in Milford and presents the Academies of Caroline as the organizing structure for student pathways (Caroline High School). The 2026-27 Program of Studies is posted on the division website and describes the high school courses and academies in detail (CCPS Program of Studies, 2026-27; Program of Studies page).

The catalog warns that course offerings are contingent on sufficient student enrollment and adequate staff availability, and therefore may not be offered every year (catalog). Treat the list below as a snapshot of what the current catalog describes, not a guarantee that every sequence will run next year.

The Academies at Caroline and work-based learning

The Program of Studies says Caroline High School's academies connect classroom learning to work across three themed academies: EDGE (Entrepreneurship, Digital Growth & Excellence), LEADS (Leadership, Empowerment, Development & Service), and STARS (Skilled Trades & Applied Resource Solutions). It also states that joining an academy does not limit access to Advanced Placement, honors, dual enrollment, arts, or collaborative classes (catalog).

Work-based learning is described as a key feature of the Academies at Caroline. According to the catalog, students can earn course credit and a CTE credential by completing supervised placements, and 12th-grade students in good academic standing may request early release aligned to a work schedule, with expectations for attendance, progress toward graduation, and professional conduct (catalog).

Career Strategies is listed at the start of the high school CTE section as a course in which students explore career clusters and pathways, compare educational options, and take part in work-based learning with local businesses and organizations (catalog).

Program areas listed in the current catalog

The 2026-27 Program of Studies groups high school CTE courses by program area. These are the sequences the catalog describes, with credentials named only where the catalog itself names them (catalog):

• Agriculture and horticulture. Agriculture Production Technology, Agriculture Business Fundamentals, and Horticulture Sciences, including work with plant systems and, in the power and structural sequence, tools used in agricultural structures, electricity, welding, and carpentry (catalog).
• Carpentry. Carpentry I, II, and III. The catalog says Carpentry I includes the OSHA 10 safety credential, lasts 18 weeks, and also lists CPR and Workplace Readiness. Passing Carpentry II leads to CTE program completion, with Skills USA Carpentry Level 1 and NCCER certification listed. Carpentry III is described as an advanced course with work-based learning (catalog).
• Business, marketing, and information technology. Principles of business and marketing, additional marketing courses, and Computer Information Systems, covering word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentations, networks, and related career options (catalog).
• Education. Teachers for Tomorrow I and II, for 11th and 12th grade students exploring careers in education, including field experience and the Educators Rising student organization (catalog).
• Health sciences. Introduction to Health and Medical Sciences, Medical Terminology, Nurse Aide I and II (described as preparation for the national nurse aide examination, with clinical hours), and Sports Medicine I and II (catalog).
• Culinary arts. Culinary Arts I, II, and III, with ServSafe certifications and Workplace Readiness listed (catalog).
• Cosmetology. Cosmetology I, II, and III. The catalog says Cosmetology II prepares students for the Cosmetology Licensure Examination and lists the State Board exam among credentials offered at Caroline High School (catalog).
• Criminal justice. Criminal Justice I and II (catalog).
• Drafting and automotive. Dual enrollment engineering and architectural drawing/design, plus Automotive Technology I, II, and III, which the catalog ties to Maintenance and Light Repair (MLR) standards (catalog).

Some courses list required fees in the catalog. Check the current Program of Studies and the school counselor for the amount that applies to a given course and year (catalog).

The Program of Studies also describes the Board of Education's Career & Technical Education Seal. In the catalog's wording, the seal may be awarded to students who earn a Standard or Advanced Studies Diploma and complete a prescribed CTE sequence with a "B" or better average in those courses, or who pass an exam or earn an industry credential in a CTE concentration, or who obtain a professional license in that field from Virginia (catalog).

How to use this information

This is a description of published programs, not advice about where to live and not a ranking of schools or pathways. A student already enrolled in Caroline County Public Schools, or a household planning a move to Ruther Glen, Ladysmith, or elsewhere in the county, should review the catalog with a counselor and confirm diploma rules, any application steps, and whether a course will run next year (CCPS Program of Studies, 2026-27; Caroline High School; CCPS).

If you are also weighing a move into or out of the county, see my Ruther Glen page and the Caroline County page.

FAQ

Where can I read the official list of Caroline CTE courses?

Caroline County Public Schools posts the Program of Studies on its website, including the current 2026-27 catalog that contains the high school Career and Technical Education section (Program of Studies page; 2026-27 Program of Studies PDF).

What are the Academies at Caroline?

The Program of Studies describes three themed academies at Caroline High School: EDGE, LEADS, and STARS. It says students can still take Advanced Placement, honors, dual enrollment, and arts courses while following an academy pathway (catalog).

Can Caroline High School students earn a credential in a CTE program?

Yes, in the sequences that list one. Examples in the current catalog include OSHA 10 and NCCER in carpentry, ServSafe in culinary arts, the State Board cosmetology exam, and the national nurse aide exam. Work-based learning is also described as a way to earn a CTE credential (catalog).

Are all of these courses offered every year?

Not necessarily. The Program of Studies states that course offerings depend on sufficient student enrollment and adequate staff availability and therefore may not be offered annually (catalog).

Looking at homes in Caroline County?

If a move to Caroline County is part of your plan, I can help you look at locations around Ruther Glen, Ladysmith, and the rest of the county. See the Ruther Glen page, the Caroline County page, or how I sell homes. Call or text me at (540) 300-4967.

Ron Chronister, REAL Broker