At the April 16 school board meeting, Midland Independent School District (MISD) provided an update on enrollment projections and facilities planning for Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs through 2028. The programs are a part of a partnership with Midland College (MC) to offer dual credit opportunities for students in a range of career fields. These plans align with the district's Bond 2023 schedule and expand high-demand programs of study.
Currently, MISD and MC offer 14 CTE dual credit programs, with a new CTE Dual Credit Facility planned for construction. This facility will be built in line with the grade reconfiguration taking place in 2028, a result of the passage of Bond 2023. These programs span over different fields, including Automotive Technology, Emergency Medical Tech, Cybersecurity, and Law Enforcement, among others.
The dual credit opportunities allow students to graduate with a Level 1 certificate from MC, giving them a head start in their chosen careers. According to Midland ISD Executive Director of CTE/CCMR Jeff Horner, over 1,000 students are currently enrolled in these programs. "For the last two years, MISD has had 8.5 percent of our students graduate with a level 1 certificate,” said Horner during the school board meeting. “Compared to the state average, it's under 1 percent. We are very proud and we are building on that important work."
Vice President of Instruction at Midland College Dr. Michael Dixon outlined the timeline for the new facility, which will take place between 2026 and 2028. The facility will support Applied Technology, Health Sciences, and Culinary/Conference Center courses, and offer 13 new courses to MISD students for dual credit. "Central to the vision of these proposed facilities is that they will serve the diverse range of programs that we currently have and the new programs,” said Dixon.