Original Research by School Decision on Great Oaks Career Campuses
Great Oaks Career Campuses is a district-level career and technical education provider across Hamilton County, serving students in grades 9 through 12 from a network of affiliate school districts. The organization operates four career campuses—Diamond Oaks, Scarlet Oaks, Laurel Oaks, and Live Oaks—plus an Instructional Resource Center, drawing enrollment from approximately thirty-six sending districts across multiple counties.
The student body is predominantly white, with smaller shares of Black students, Hispanic students, and students identifying as two or more races. The district does not report free-and-reduced-price-lunch rates or counts of students with IEPs or English learners, which is common practice for career and technical education programs that sit outside the standard K-12 reporting structure. Enrollment concentrates heavily in grades 11 and 12, reflecting the program model of high school students electing into career pathways after completing foundation coursework in their home districts.
State testing data and graduation rates were not available, a gap typical for alternative and specialized career-training settings where achievement measurement follows different frameworks than traditional high schools. The district does report chronic absenteeism at a rate above the midpoint among Hamilton County's districts, meaning attendance is a softer area; a parent exploring Great Oaks may want to ask the specific campus about engagement strategies and support for consistent attendance, since career training builds week-to-week skill development.
Per-pupil spending sits in the upper range among county districts, reflecting the capital intensity of maintaining career labs, equipment, and industry-aligned instructional facilities.
Recent investment has expanded the district's footprint and program depth. Laurel Oaks in Wilmington received state funding to launch an Electric Vehicle Technician Support and Production program and to expand its Welding and Fabrication offerings, tying directly to regional manufacturing demand. The same campus added an Aviation Exploration pathway, a two-year sequence where students pursue FAA drone certification, work toward Airframe and Powerplant credentials, and earn a student pilot certificate—a pipeline explicitly connected to the Wilmington Air Park employment market.
Live Oaks in Milford, serving Clermont County families, underwent a multi-phase modernization that replaced aging 1970s infrastructure with renovated academic spaces, new lab and media facilities, and a new heavy equipment building. That work positions the campus to serve its regional student base across multiple training disciplines.
Great Oaks functions as a choice within choice: families remain enrolled in their home district but elect into career programs at one of the campuses during high school, typically the junior and senior years. This model suits students who want to blend academic coursework with hands-on technical training and direct credential pathways—certifications, licenses, and manufacturing or skilled-trade entry points—rather than a traditional college-preparatory curriculum. The district's recent expansions in EV and aviation training reflect bets on growth sectors, giving incoming cohorts exposure to emerging fields. A parent considering Great Oaks should clarify with the home district how dual enrollment operates, what transportation arrangements are available, and whether the specific program aligns with the student's post-secondary direction.
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