Cooperative Education is an early-dismissal program taught by Carbondale Community High School Career and Technical Education Director and teacher Dallas Terry, and is an optional class for seniors in CTE programs. The purpose of Cooperative Education is to combine On the Job Training with in-class education.

The program mainly focuses on teaching important yet broad skills for work, such as work strategy, time management, and conflict resolution/mediation. “it’s all things that are feeding into what makes you a good worker,” Terry said.

Cooperative Education work does not have to be constrained to school hours or graduation. In a notable instance to Mr. Terry, a student who graduated 3 years ago has remained working as a Reinforcing Ironworker at E.T. Simonds as of October 2nd, 2025.

Landyn Duty, a student in Cooperative Education explained how the class has been like for him, “before you ever start your job it’s the best class,” he further explained that the class is amazing in that it is an early dismissal class, but that when OJT begins a student is essentially paid to leave school early.

Students spend the first half of their day doing the graduation required English and Government/Civics, as well an elective, then they attend a Cooperative Education class 5th hour. Students leave the school after Lunch B, though they can sign out during Lunch B.

When a student has begun Cooperative Education work with a business, they then are required to complete 10 hours of work per week.

In 2026, the name of the class will be changed to Work-Based Learning

As of October 6th, 2025, the Cooperative Education class has 6 students.