The Woodlands Edition | December 2025

Education

BY JULIANNA WASHBURN

Next fall, Tomball ISD will launch a new program called Tomball Academy of Future Educators, or TAFE. The program—in partnership with Lone Star College-Tomball—will serve as the district’s second P-TECH, or Pathways in Technology Early College High School. TISD, which serves areas including Creekside Park in The Woodlands, announced the new P-TECH July 1. LSC-Tomball President Lee Ann Nutt said the new program was created due to demand and teacher shortages. “We [hope we] create a pipeline of really ... dedicated, caring teachers,” Nutt said. P-TECH is an open-enrollment high school that allows students to achieve a high school diploma in addition to industry-based certications, level one or two certicates, and an associate’s degree, per the Texas Education Agency. TISD, Lone Star to create program for aspiring teachers

How we got here

Looking ahead

TAFE will be housed at Tomball West High School and will begin in fall 2026, but it is open to all TISD high school students. Students in the program can work toward an associate’s degree, a Texas Education Agency Aide I Certication and get experience in district classrooms, per TISD’s website. While TISD hasn’t yet had a graduating class for the TAFE program, Webb said the district is looking for ways to fund students from their associate’s degree to their bachelor’s degree through grant funding. Webb said the ultimate goal is for TISD students who want to become teachers to get a bachelor’s degree at no cost. Students can nd information at www.tomballisd.net/about-tisd/ departments/academics/p-tech.

In the Tomball Academy of Healthcare, students can earn health care certications.

COURTESY LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM

TAFE is the second program of its kind since TISD launched its rst PTECH program, also in partnership with Lone Star College-Tomball, focused on health care in fall 2023, per prior reporting. Nutt said in the Tomball Academy of Healthcare, or TAH program, students have the opportunity to earn electrocardiogram, phlebotomy and patient care technician certications, a level one pre-professional certicate and an associate’s degree. TISD’s Chief Academic Ocer Michael Webb and Dean of Student Advancement Bob Thompson said student retention is high and applications to the PTECH pro- gram continue to increase each year. Nutt said there are currently 68 total students in the program—21 of whom are juniors in the program’s rst cohort. “The best way to describe the impact I’ve seen is when we see the students out in the eld, in the classroom, excited, in their scrubs doing their work,” Nutt said. “To see the students enjoy it and benet and know that they’re into something special is the best reward.”

October 20, 2025: TAFE and TAH applications open December 5, 2025: TAFE and TAH applications close

249

Tomball Academy of Healthcare

2920

December 12, 2025: TAFE lottery*

MUESCHKE RD.

99 TOLL

January 16, 2026: TAH lottery*

Tomball Academy of Future Educators

*USED TO DETERMINE STUDENTS SELECTED WHEN THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 AND 25 APPLICANTS FOR THE TAFE AND TAH PROGRAMS, RESPECTIVELY. SOURCE: TOMBALL ISDCOMMUNITY IMPACT

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