New beauty school program offered at local high school

A new beauty school program in Yuma was just given the green light for upcoming seniors at Kofa High School.

It has been 15 years since Yuma has seen a beauty school program. Kofa’s upcoming seniors will now have the opportunity to practice cosmetology while completing their high school degree.

After the program was approved Wednesday by Yuma Union High School District Board, a trial run has been set to measure its success. 90 students are enrolled in their level one cosmetology class with three special students selected to do their training at the School of Beauty in downtown Yuma.

This is a major opportunity for students in Yuma as they get to work towards a career before they even graduate. Elizabeth Esparza, who is a teacher and cosmetologist, explains why she feels this is so needed and how it differs from when she was in high school.

“I feel that it is important to the community to bring this opportunity to these students because Yuma is a very small town. I feel that it’s a great opportunity for them to expand their capabilities and be able to take their career elsewhere. Now, the difference is that the school pays for the students to attend beauty school so they have everything paid for,” said Esparza.

Tuition was paid for by the Career and Technical Education Department. This also includes a beauty kit worth up to almost $950 that will be given to the students to help them throughout their cosmetology journey.

The Career and Technical Education Team hopes that this program is successful enough to be implemented at other high schools in town.