Dr. Melissa Everett, director of Career and Technical Education for Dickinson ISD, told the board the district’s CTE programs have grown substantially and outlined plans for a new 100,000-square-foot CTE building at Dickinson High School that the district expects to open in 2026.

“CTE is more than classes. It's a movement preparing skilled and confident graduates for college, careers, and the military,” Dr. Everett said, summarizing the program’s purpose.

Dr. Everett said that coming into the 2025 school year, the district will offer students 12 career-cluster opportunities and 25 programs of study, with 32 industry-based opportunities and more than 100 course offerings. She described a planned 100,000-square-foot facility with a 5,000-square-foot conference center for professional development, industry meetings and student events.

Program expansions she outlined include launching an HVAC program in the fall, and four new programs in 2026: maritime, culinary arts, cybersecurity and firefighting. She said the district is partnering with College of the Mainland to develop a respiratory therapy program. Dr. Everett reported 115 students registered for the district’s imaging program this year and highlighted that CTE programming reached 5,591 students in grades 7–12.

Dr. Everett also cited student outcomes and industry connections: since 2021 the district has secured 3,196 industry-based certifications, and this year the district completed 237 internships that connect students directly with employers, she said. She described individual student successes, including a student who interned at Touchstone Dentistry, earned a certification as a registered dental assistant and was accepted into College of the Mainland’s dental hygiene program.

District leaders credited board members, school leaders and industry partners for helping build program capacity. The board received the update as an informational presentation; no formal board action was required on the CTE presentation at the meeting.

Dr. Everett called out student performance in career and technical student organizations, including FFA, DECA and other CTSOs that advanced to state and national levels, and noted the district’s Baytran Engineering Competition placed third overall and won a design presentation award judged by local engineers. She said business and industry partners help vet certifications and provide internships and job connections for students.

The board thanked Dr. Everett; the district plans to continue expanding dual-credit pathways and bridge programs as part of the CTE strategy.