Education
BY CODY THORN
GCISD adds new CTE programs for 2025-26 school year
Grapevine-Colleyville ISD seniors will garner hands-on learning experiences in a professional set- ting through new courses from the district’s Career & Technical Education program this school year. A closer look GCISD added new industry-based certificates during the past two school years, according to CTE director Stephanie Speaks. Some of the new industry-based certificates, or IBC, for the 2025-26 school year include: • Emergency medical technician • Certified EKG Technician Added IBCs for the 2024-25 school year included: • Intuit QuickBooks Certified user • Automotive Service Excellence, or ASE, certification • Adobe Certified Professional Autodesk Associate Certified User, or AutoCAD During the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce luncheon Aug. 21, Superintendent Brad Schnautz said 475 industry-based certificates were earned by 324 students in 2024-25. GCISD had 3,346 students enrolled in the CTE program during the 2024-25 school year, the highest since the 2021-22 school year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency. There were 3,121 students enrolled in CTE in 2021-22, but that number dropped below 3,000 in both 2022-23 and 2023-24. Last year, 220 GCISD seniors took part in intern- ships or externships, according to a social media post. The new CTE programs added last year were
marketing, floral design, veterinary tech, phar- macy tech, patient care and AutoCAD. “We see what is relevant and necessary to be in that industry after graduation. We also see what is the most beneficial for students and what will help make them marketable once they leave high school,” Speaks said. “We want them to be career- ready and have credentials behind them to show they are experts in what they’ve been learning.” What you need to know Speaks said some of the partnerships are forged through community events. TriVAN Roofing, based in Grapevine, is doing an internship this year where company instructors will teach students how to do commercial roofing. She said the opportunity came from meeting owner Dave Custable at a Grapevine Chamber Luncheon. GCISD also partners with The Gaylord Texan in culinary studies and Baylor Scott & White Medical Center—Grapevine for pharmacy studies. Speaks said community members like John Adkins, Grapevine Chamber of Commerce’s programs and events’ director, have helped forge relationships and partnerships through the Grapevine Young Professionals group. What they’re saying The GCISD program features three areas of study: business and industry; public service; and science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM. Jack McDonald, a 2025 Grapevine High School graduate, landed a year-long paid engineering internship through Bell Helicopters last year. “It’s a great opportunity to help me discover the type of engineer I want to be,” McDonald said in a GCISD interview.
GCISD CTE student enrollment The number of high school students in GCISD enrolled in CTE programs increased by 12.93% from 2023-24 to 2024-25.
Students enrolled in CTE
3,346
3,121
2,963
2,915
GCISD CTE internships Grapevine-Colleyville ISD partners with a number of local businesses and companies to provide internships or externships in the Career and Technical Education program. Here are some of the businesses that partnered with the school district in the 2024-25 school year: 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
Bell Helicopter
Silvas Law
Expeditors International
North Texas Orthopedics
Trubond Veterinary Clinic
The Gaylord Texan
Baylor Scott & White Medical Center—Grapevine
SOURCES: TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY, GCISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
12
COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM
Powered by FlippingBook