Pasco’s new Orion High School blends college credits with career pathways
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- Pasco opened Orion High School, its new career-focused campus, on Tuesday.
- The 2023 bond funded Orion and Sageview High Schools.
- Orion offers integrated academics and career paths with capped enrollment of 600.
With scissors snipping a ceremonial ribbon and cheers from families, community leaders and students, Orion High School officially opened its door Tuesday morning.
Fittingly the school, which was built on a former air strip, hosted the event on National Aviator Day.
Construction of two new high schools in Pasco were funded thanks to a capital projects bond approved by voters in 2023. The 21-year, $195.5 million tax also paid for construction of the $127 million Sageview High School, located at 6091 Burns Road.
Both schools will open this month to students and teachers on-time and on-budget, district officials say.
The new school, Pasco’s “Career and College Academy,” represents more than a modern building. For Principal, Seth Johnson and the inaugural class of 160 freshman students, it’s a launch pad.
Classes start Tuesday. This year’s freshmen will become Orion’s first graduating class in 2029.
“Orion High School was designed to be a small, innovative and career-connected high school,” Johnson said. “We’re not just preparing students to graduate, we’re preparing them to launch into the world with credentials, college credits and hands-on experience in fields that are in high demand.”
A school rooted in history
Orion’s name and mascot, the Aviators, connect directly to the site’s aviation legacy. Nearly a century ago, Pasco’s original airport occupied the same ground. In 1926, the first commercial airmail flight west of the Mississippi lifted off from there, a milestone of innovation and progress.
“Nearly a century later, Orion continues that legacy, launching not letters, but learners,” Johnson said.
The symbolism wasn’t lost on speakers, who drew parallels between Pasco’s proud aviation history and the school’s mission to propel students into careers and higher education.
Innovation in education
Orion is the second new high school to open in Pasco this week, following Sageview High’s ribbon cutting Monday. Unlike its comprehensive counterparts, Orion is intentionally small, capped at 600 students, and admission is determined by lottery.
Students will choose among signature pathways in health sciences, engineering and advanced manufacturing, gaining industry certifications and earning college credits before graduation.
Superintendent Michelle Whitney emphasized the school’s unique role.
“Orion is more than a building. It is a commitment to the future, a space of possibilities, progression, and potential,” Whitney said. “Every student here will leave with a diploma, a plan, and the confidence to take their next steps.”
How Orion Differs from Tri-Tech
While Orion may sound similar to Tri-Tech Skills Center in Kennewick, district leaders emphasized that the two schools serve different purposes.
Tri-Tech is a regional skills center open to juniors and seniors across multiple districts, offering half-day programs where students split their time between their home high school and Tri-Tech.
Orion, by contrast, is a comprehensive, four year high school dedicated exclusively to Pasco students. It combines academics with career pathways, meaning students can earn industry certifications and college credits without leaving their campus.
“Orion is a student’s home school, their academics, their activities, their community are all here,” Whitney said. “What makes Orion unique is the integration. Students aren’t choosing between traditional classes and career preparation, they’re getting both, every day, in one place.”
Community Backing
The high school was made possible by the community’s approval of the 2023 bond, which funded construction of both new high schools, plus a variety of other improvements to district facilities.
Speakers including Pasco Mayor David Milne and Tri-Cities Hispanic Chambers of Commerce President Sofia Briseño underscored the economic and community impact.
“The skills students gain here will not only prep them for college, but also open doors to career opportunities right here in the Tri-Cities,” Briseño said. “It’s going to keep talent in our community, fuel our economy, and build pride in Pasco as a place where opportunity grows.”
Student perspective
For students like Violeta Villas, a member of Orion’s first Associated Student Body (ASB), the day was especially meaningful.
“The first time I walked into Orion, I felt a sense of belonging, a feeling that this place was made for us,” Villas said. “Orion is a school where students are given the opportunity to explore new and unique ways of learning … I see Orion as a place for new beginnings.”
A launch pad for the future
As families toured the sleek new building, from labs designed for engineering projects to spaces for health science simulations, Johnson reminded the crowd that innovation with be woven into every class.
“When we say we’re a school of innovation, we mean it,” he said. “Our students will learn through solving real problems, working across subjects, and applying their knowledge to the world around them.”
With its doors now open, Orion’s staff stands ready to make good on the community’s investment in preparing the next generation to soar.
This story was originally published August 21, 2025 at 5:00 AM.