RISD to grow CTE o erings with new $86M facility From the cover
Some background
The gist
The CTE center is the latest in a string of advance- ments RISD has made to its CTE programming. The district opened a Credit Union of Texas branch inside Berkner High School in 2023, and its Healthcare Academy, a partnership with Meth- odist Richardson Medical Center, saw enrollment grow by 14% from 2024-25 to the current school year, district CTE Executive Director Creighton Bryan said. The district also partners with Dallas College for its Pathways in Technology program at all four high schools, allowing students to earn associate degrees and certi cations while in high school. “Our students can walk across the stage at Dallas College two weeks before they walk across the stage to get their high school diploma,” Bryan said. Richardson residents in Plano ISD’s attendance boundaries can also access expanding CTE programming. PISD’s CTE center is under con- struction and expected to open in 2026. While CTE programming has expanded, RISD and PISD have seen declining enrollment every
RISD CTE enrollment by school year
As Richardson ISD continues to grow its Career and Technical Education, or CTE, offerings, the programming will soon have its own space. Voters approved the district’s bond package in November, including $86 million for a new CTE center, which will be located near the corner of Greenville Avenue and Walnut Street in south Richardson. Superintendent Tabitha Branum said that design for the project will start later this year with an eye on designing “the next generation of CTE center.” Branum said that the center will likely feature automotive, plumbing, HVAC, manufacturing and other programs that are challenging or expensive to replicate across campuses. “Being able to have them at one center is going to allow all four of our high schools to take advantage,” she said. Branum added that staff will consider high-demand programs, including water management and Artificial Intelligence- related paths, to be housed at the center. As the project enters the design phase, Branum said there will be a focus on a “modular design approach” so the space can transform with new programs as workforce needs change.
CTE enrolled
Total students (grades 9-12)
7,603 7,574
10,505 10,556 10,457
2022-23 2023-24 2024-25
56% of 2025 class graduated with industry certification 2,582 industry-based certifications earned, 2024-25 7,308 +7,300 RISD high schoolers have participated in CTE programs in each of the last three school years.
SOURCE: RICHARDSON ISD/COMMUNITY IMPACT
year since 2019 and 2012, respectively. Recent dis- trict initiatives in response to declining enrollment include campus closures in both districts, along with opening enrollment outside of attendance boundaries.
What they’re saying
“We want to make sure that we’re designing something that is looking a decade ahead and not a decade in the rear.” TABITHA BRANUM, RISD SUPERINTENDENT
“Businesses will often locate in communities or regions that can produce the talent.” DON MAGNER, RICHARDSON CITY MANAGER
WALNUT ST.
New CTE center
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