BATON ROUGE - The East Baton Rouge School Board approved the rezoning plans for Capitol High School last week. They hope the school will provide new opportunities for students.

"When we bring this school back we don't just want to bring it back but we want to bring back the pride. We want to make sure we fix up the buildings, when our students walk in the building we want them to know it is a wholesome place, a safe place and it's a place of learning," School Board President Dadrius Lanus said.

The historic high school is returning to the school system after 14 years of state control. The school will also look to use the Focus Choice program to provide students with job training and the opportunity to work on an associate's degree.

Lanus said this model proved effective in other parish schools, like Park Medical Academy, which partners with Baton Rouge General to teach students healthcare skills.

"That school since they took on the focus choice model has not only went from being an F school to a C school, they are one of the most improved schools across our district," Lanus said.

The hope is that Capitol High can follow that same blueprint.

"I have no doubt in my mind that we're going to bring this school back and it's going to flourish," Lanus said.

Lanus says these opportunities are important for students to have, so they can be career ready after graduating.

"Students are now on track for when they graduate to not only receive a diploma but receive an associate's degree. We're putting our students in much better places, we're doubling down on investments and making sure we're setting them up for success in the future," Lanus said.

Capitol High will be a traditional neighborhood school in addition to having the new healthcare program. The school system expects that about 400 students will be enrolled in the fall, with 50 ninth-graders coming for the focus choice program.