Education
BY JULIANNA WASHBURN
Next fall, Tomball ISD will launch a new program for students who are aspiring to be educators, 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 announced the new P-TECH via a news release July 1. LSC-Tomball President Lee Ann Nutt said the decision to create the new program was based on 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 certi cations, level one or two certi cates, 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, when the new school will open. Students in the program can work toward an associate’s degree, a Texas Education Agency Aide I Certi cation 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. Prospective 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 certi cations.
COURTESY LONE STAR COLLEGE SYSTEM
TAFE is the second program of its kind since TISD launched its rst P TECH 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 certi cations, a level one preprofessional certi cate and an associate’s degree. TISD’s Chief Academic O cer Michael Webb and Dean of Student Advancement Bob Thompson said student retention is high and applications to the P TECH program 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 bene t and know that they’re into something special is the best reward.”
Oct. 20, 2025: TAFE and TAH applications open Dec. 5, 2025: TAFE and TAH applications close
249
Tomball Academy of Healthcare
2920
Dec. 12, 2025: TAFE lottery*
MUESCHKE RD.
99 TOLL
Jan. 16, 2026: TAH lottery*
Tomball Academy of Future Educators
N
*USED TO DETERMINE STUDENTS SELECTED WHEN THERE ARE MORE THAN 50 AND 25 APPLICANTS FOR THE TAFE AND TAH PROGRAMS, RESPECTIVELY. SOURCE: TOMBALL ISD COMMUNITY IMPACT
17
TOMBALL MAGNOLIA EDITION
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