The Santa Lucia Regional Occupational Program was established in San Luis Obispo, California on July 1, 1982 under a Joint Powers Agreement between Atascadero Unified School District, Coast Union High School District, Lucia Mar Unified School District, Paso Robles Joint Union High School District, San Luis Coastal Unified School District, Shandon Unified School District and Templeton Unified School District.

Santa Lucia ROP is a public agency of the State Department of Education and is of a statewide network of 72 Regional Occupational Centers and Programs established in 1967 which provides students with quality vocational training.

Similar to a school district, SLROP is directed by a Superintendent and a Governing Board. The Governing Board is composed of one primary representative and one alternate from each of the seven participating school districts.

Instructors come to the ROP with at least five years of business or industry experience in the field in which they are teaching. As with all teachers in the public school system, ROP instructors are credentialed by the State of California Commission of Teacher Credentialing.

Funding

The ROP receives apportionment funds from the State Department of Education based on student hours of attendance or Average Daily Attendance (ADA). In addition, the ROP receives a portion of the proceeds from the state lottery.

Programs

ROP courses are offered to anyone 16 years of age or older regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, age or disability. Course content is validated by local business advisory committees, reflecting current industry standards, and approved by the ROP Governing Board. All ROP courses include instruction on employment seeking skills including how to fill out a job application, interview techniques and resume preparation.

Business Partnerships

In compliance with the California Department of Education’s mandates, each SLROP program is supported by an Advisory Committee. These committees are comprised of business representatives from program-related fields who work with ROP staff to ensure that course curriculum meets business and industry standards and current labor market demands. In addition, business support ROP by offering their facilities as training sites for ROP students. Many businesses also donate equipment for student use.