Laredo ISD staff presented proposed Career and Technical Education changes to the business and support services committee on Oct. 9, asking the board to approve a TEA-designated clinical ethics elective and describing plans to expand an existing general employability course into a summer “camp” for broader student participation.

Monica Gaya, CCMR, told the committee that the clinical ethics course proposed by Buckley Early College High School would cover “ethical issues in health care, clinical decision making, and patient care,” count as a state elective credit and would not require an additional full‑time employee. She said the district would replace an existing elective with the course and that, because it is a CTE level‑3 course, it would appear in students’ programs of study.

The committee heard that a separate general employability course — already used by some special‑education students — is being proposed as a four‑to‑six week summer camp to prepare students with resume building, mock interviews and other “soft skills” requested by business partners. Gaya said the camp could be offered without adding staff by using existing FTEs and that typical session sizes would be about 25 students; she said there is no state‑mandated maximum. She said the program might generate additional ADA funding when delivered as a CTE elective.

Board members asked how the change would affect current special‑education programs. Gaya said PEIMS coding separates the special‑education (FLS) sections from general‑education sections and that the expansion would not remove teachers or resources from special‑education units. She also said district staff had discussed extending access to students not currently in FLS units, including visually impaired students.

Trustees also probed timeline and accountability effects. Staff said the general employability course currently is embedded across CTE TEKS and that approval of the clinical ethics course would allow the district to implement it locally when the board chooses; staff estimated the district could begin offering a high‑school version as early as the spring semester for high schools and that a summer camp could begin sooner. Gaya noted the course would be submitted to TEA via the Teams process and cautioned that, if offered too early or at multiple levels, it could duplicate credit offerings for some students.

Several trustees favored piloting the camp for at‑risk or first‑generation students and recommended working with counselors and CCMR deans to identify participants. Board members asked staff to return to the regular board meeting with implementation plans (summer camp, middle‑school pilot, and a high‑school semester option) and to include pros and cons for each model.

No formal committee vote was recorded; staff said the courses and implementation options will be presented for approval at the Oct. 16 regular board meeting.

The committee also discussed outreach and recruitment for the camp, including flyers, targeted counselor invitations and partnerships with Region 1 and local employers.

Details provided by staff: the general employability course was previously approved for special‑education use; the proposed clinical ethics course would not require an additional FTE; camp length would be about four to six weeks; typical cohort size would be approximately 25 students; credit value was described as likely half a credit but staff said they would confirm the exact PEIMS credit value before final submission.

The item will return to the board on Oct. 16 with course approval and implementation options for trustee direction.