Today, 823 students - juniors and seniors only - come and go daily, splitting days between their home high school and the center. Most ride school buses, coming from as far as La Center and Ridgefield and east Portland's Parkrose School District, for three-hour shifts.

Class lectures, hands-on training in labs packed with sophisticated and often-donated equipment, and valuable apprenticeship service with local businesses give students a shot at professional certification, early college credits and a huge employment edge.

The evolving programs are a long way from some outdated view of "vo-tech" as a preserve for underachievers not likely to go to college. Biomedical science, criminal justice and legal medical training are among current options.